ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — A woman found herself in the middle of a police pursuit in Conyers on New Year’s Eve, capturing the tense moments on her cellphone.
Tyler Miller was driving to work near I-20 and West Avenue when officers surrounded a suspect’s SUV with their guns drawn, she told Channel 2’s Michael Seiden.
Police said they initially stopped the driver around 4:15 p.m. for a traffic violation but suspected a DUI.
Police said 55-year-old William Cornelius ignored commands and fought the officers before driving away with one officer hanging on to the vehicle, dragging them about 40 feet.
Miller recorded the unfolding events as officers chased the SUV, eventually stopping it with a PIT maneuver.
“I saw the lights and sirens. They’re chasing this guy down the on-ramp and that’s when I knew this was a serious situation,” she said.
Miller recalled her fear at the moment.
“I was most afraid of some kind of exchange of gunfire, and thank God that didn’t happen,” she said.
The injured officer was taken to the hospital but has since been treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is recovering at home.
Police confirmed that Cornelius was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Cornelius faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer and felony fleeing and eluding. Upon his release from the hospital, he will be booked into jail.
Miller expressed newfound respect for law enforcement:
“I’m walking into this year with a new appreciation for law enforcement and what they do, because I’ve never seen anything like that in real life,” Miller said.
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