Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BROOKHAVEN, Ga. (AP) — A police officer was hospitalized after authorities say he was attacked by a swarm of yellow jackets while chasing a suspect and stung about 100 times in the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven.
The wasps were in the officer's pants leg, shirt sleeve, up his nose and in his month during the ordeal Wednesday, Brookhaven Police Maj. Brandon Gurley said.
Gurley said he was found in a ravine and suffered a severe allergic reaction from the stings.
The officer's condition was deteriorating, so officers drove him to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta instead of waiting for an ambulance, Gurley told WSB-TV (http://bit.ly/1oiJpBs).
Gurley said the officer was in stable condition at Grady and was continuing to improve.
The officer's police dog was also stung, and was treated by a veterinarian.
The officer and the dog were pursuing a suspect who DeKalb County police say hit one of their squad cars on Interstate 85 and ran into a wooded area in Brookhaven, authorities said.
The officer who took his injured colleague to the hospital also suffered several stings as the yellow jackets flew out of the first officer's uniform, Gurley said. That officer was treated and released.
___
Information from: WSB-TV, http://www.wsbtv.com/index.html
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
