ATLANTA — A bizarre Atlanta police pursuit is now under investigation.
Video shows an officer driving a police cruiser onto a sidewalk in midtown Atlanta while in pursuit of a man on a scooter.
“(That’s) pretty dangerous,” Georgia Tech student Seth Shonman told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington.
The cellphone video obtained by ATL Scoop shows a young man traveling down Spring Street on Tuesday at a high rate of speed before he abandoned the scooter and took off.
Then, the video shows a police officer running after the man.
Seconds later, the video shows a police officer driving onto the sidewalk along Spring Street near 10th Street, chasing after the young man.
“They had no business riding up on the sidewalk. They could have injured plenty of civilians doing what they were doing. And it really wasn’t that serious,” said Cynthia Lester.
Lester works for a non-profit. She set up a table along Spring Street to sign up volunteers. She said she believed if she were on the sidewalk on Tuesday, she could have been hurt.
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“We’re usually right here, so yeah,” Lester said.
Atlanta police said the young man on the scooter was seen riding the scooter in and out of traffic before officers tried to stop him.
Police said they later found the man hiding inside a nearby parking lot and took him into custody.
But people in the area said they still questioned the pursuit.
“I don’t know why the police officer decided to drive up on the sidewalk that doesn’t accomplish anything,” Shonman said.
Wednesday afternoon, Washington asked police if the pursuit was in any way excessive. In an email, police confirmed that the pursuit is now under investigation by the Office of Professional Standards.
“They just need to take into account what they’re doing and how they’re doing it because it’s getting ridiculous,” said Mark Anthony, who lives in the area.
Police said criminal charges against the man on the scooter are forthcoming.
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