An officer with the Columbus Police Department was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle Saturday with minor injuries after a suspect punched him.
Police received a call around 5 p.m. A customer at Rite Aid on Highway 45 had become upset about a prescription and gotten into an altercation with employees who called 911, said Assistant Police Chief Fred Shelton. When an officer arrived at the scene, the customer refused to leave the store so the officer placed him under arrest. At this point, the suspect punched the officer.
Deputies with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office also arrived at the scene when the officer called for back-up.
The suspect is in police custody. Authorities are not releasing the suspect’s name as of press time.
The officer, whose name was not released, was not in life-threatening danger after the arrest and was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle as a precaution, Shelton said.
He was released last night with a scrape above his nose and returned to duty after an hour break, according to Shelton.
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