ATLANTA (AP) — A Stone Mountain woman has been charged with first-degree homicide by vehicle, drunken driving and reckless driving after an Atlanta police officer was struck and killed by a car late Tuesday night, authorities said.
The female officer was struck while helping another officer investigate an earlier wreck on an interstate ramp, authorities said.
Chasity Nicole Jones, 22, was booked into the Fulton County Jail on the charges, Atlanta police said.
Jail records show that she was being held on $1,100 bond. The records do not indicate whether she has an attorney in the case.
The officer who was killed was a 15-year veteran of the force, Police Chief George Turner said. Police didn't immediately release her name as they were still notifying her family Wednesday.
The officer had just started her overnight shift when she responded to help another officer who was investigating an earlier wreck in the far left lane of the southbound Interstate 75 ramp to I-85 northbound, police said.
She had just gotten out of her patrol vehicle when she was hit by a car and then run over by several other vehicles, the police chief said.
The officer, who was based in the department's zone 5 precinct, died at the scene.
"As you can imagine, there are a lot of very raw nerves and emotions," Turner said at a news conference early Wednesday morning.
"We just ask for the prayers and the concerns of our community while we get through this," he said.