ATLANTA — A practice-squad member of the Falcons was arrested after an early Saturday morning traffic stop devolved into a brawl, an officer firing a gun and a foot chase.
Atlanta police said Cameron Batson, a 27-year-old wide receiver, was pulled over on I-75 near the Northside Drive exit about 2 a.m. The officer said Batson was speeding and failing to maintain his lane.
A field sobriety test was conducted, and the officer said the driver was intoxicated, according to the police statement shared with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While trying to take him into custody, police said a physical altercation took place, and the officer fired his weapon. No one was struck by the gunfire, and it’s unclear whether Batson possessed a weapon during the fight.
Police said the suspect got back into his vehicle, a pickup truck, and fled the scene, crashing near Northside and Echota drives. The suspect is then accused of getting out of the vehicle and running away.
A manhunt ensued, and police were able to find Batson hiding in the area, according to the statement. The officer and suspect were taken to a hospital to treat their wounds. Channel 2 Action News reported the officer suffered a shoulder injury and cuts and bruises during the incident.
The Falcons released a statement on the incident involving Batson, who signed with the team’s practice squad this year following four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
“We have been made aware of an overnight incident involving Cameron Batson and are currently gathering information from law enforcement agencies,” the team’s statement said. “We take this matter seriously and have no further comment at this time.”
As of 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Batson had not been booked into the Fulton County jail, and his charges have not been released.
