Tenn. LEO critically injured after being struck by DUI suspect

Author: Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

By PoliceOne Staff

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee police officer is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle during a traffic stop.

Police said Memphis Officer Jeffrey Creighton was struck by a truck during a traffic stop Monday night, WHBQ-TV reports. A spokesperson for the Memphis Police Department said the driver who struck the officer, Cleodis Davis, was drunk.

“It’s unfortunate, we have been talking about the hazard of drunk driving for decades now and it’s beyond disappointing people are still doing that,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.

Investigators said Davis lost control of his truck and struck Creighton, tossing the officer at least seven feet from where he was standing on the road. Investigators also said Creighton moved two people he initially pulled over out of harm’s way right before he was struck.

Davis is a repeat offender whose rap sheet includes more than a dozen arrests for driving on a suspended license, according to LocalMemphis.com. Davis was taken to jail and faces several charges, including DUI and vehicular assault.