MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police in Fairburn, Georgia, are warning that a man who ran over one of their officers Monday morning could be headed to Memphis.
Officers were patrolling a hotel in the Atlanta area when they noticed 33-year-old Taurean McShan asleep behind the wheel of a truck, reeking of marijuana and alcohol.
They said he at first cooperated with them and had gotten out of the truck to speak with them.
But then, body camera and surveillance camera video shows him jumping back into the truck as Officer Levar Sims jumps into the passenger’s seat.
Police said McShan backed into another vehicle, then took off at a high speed through the parking lot, hitting a speed bump. They said the force knocked Sims out of the truck, which then ran him over.
Police confirmed McShan rented the maroon Ford F250 at a Budget Rent a Car in Memphis.
Officers said he abandoned the truck only a few miles away, but said he could be headed to Memphis in another vehicle if he’s not already here.
“Obviously, there was something going on that he did not want the officers to discover. What that is exactly remains to be seen,” said Deputy Chief Anthony Bazydlo with the Fairburn Police Department.
McShan has two active warrants issued for his arrest last year in Shelby County on drug charges and WREG discovered he has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2004 when he was only 19.
It mainly consists of drug and weapon charges. He was busted in 2017 when undercover narcotics deputies caught him selling drugs out of a Frayser home.
No one answered the door Monday night at his last known address in Frayser.
Bazydlo said Sims could be in the hospital for several more days.
“He is awake, he’s up, the surgery was emergency this morning and I know they did have to repair some damage,” he said.
Tuesday, Fairburn Police released a photo of Sims giving a thumbs-up and said he was expected to make a full recovery. Atlanta-area stations reported that McShan had still not been captured.