Driver Purposely Hits Georgia Police Car with His Own Vehicle During Traffic Stop

According to reports out of DeKalb County, police attempted to pull a driver over after a suspected drug deal off of Hammermill Road.
This attempted stop turned into the driver allegedly hitting a Dekalb patrol car with his vehicle on purpose and speeding away from the scene. Police later caught up to him, though, and he was arrested. As of right now, the suspect has remained unidentified.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I handle a lot of cases involving not only charges of DUI in Georgia but also accompanying charges such as those mentioned in the story above. These include charges of drug possession and attempts to resist police or arrest.

In today's post, I will outline the offense of obstruction in our state as it is commonly charged and the law behind it can be a little confusing.

Obstruction in Georgia

Obstruction in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §16-10-24. According to the law there are two different classifications of obstruction - misdemeanor obstruction and felony obstruction.

Misdemeanor obstruction is defined in the first part of the law as:

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, a person who knowingly and willfully obstructs or hinders any law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of his official duties is guilty of a misdemeanor.

This means that if found guilty and convicted of misdemeanor level obstruction, then a person is facing up to 12 months in jail and fines up to $1,000.

Felony obstruction is defined in the second part of the law as:

Whoever knowingly and willfully resists, obstructs, or opposes any law enforcement officer, prison guard, correctional officer, probation supervisor, parole supervisor, or conservation ranger in the lawful discharge of his official duties by offering or doing violence to the person of such officer or legally authorized person is guilty of a felony and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years.

This means that if found guilty and convicted of felony level obstruction, then a person is facing up to five years in prison plus fines.

Practice Note

Our firm specializes in defending and handling charges related to DUI. If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact our offices now. A Georgia DUI Attorney can help you with your case today.