Atlanta Police Lieutenant Accused of Crashing SUV, Escaping Into Woods to Avoid Alcohol Blood Test

A K-9 unit was called in to track down an Atlanta Police Department lieutenant after he reportedly fled an alcohol blood test. (AP Photo/John Amis)

An Atlanta Police Lieutenant was implicated in the late-night crash of his black Nissan Xterra over the weekend, eventually leading to a game of cat and mouse when he reportedly attempted to escape custody.

A Georgia State Patrol trooper approached off-duty Lieutenant Renata Ananya around midnight after he reportedly ran off the road and hit a stop sign.

According to police records, the trooper smelled alcohol on Ananya’s breath and spotted an open Modelo beer can alongside Atlanta Police-issued gear inside the vehicle. Ananya allegedly admitted to drinking wine around four hours before the crash.

Ananya was then taken to the WellStar Paulding Hospital for a medical evaluation. Reportedly, Ananya was unable to follow instructions in a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test and then provided a breath sample that tested positive for alcohol consumption.

When the trooper went to his car to retrieve a blood draw kit, nurses reported that Ananya escaped the hospital and was seen fleeing into the nearby woods.

The Cobb County K-9 unit and Paulding County Sheriff’s Office were called in to help with the search for the missing lieutenant. At around 5:30 am, officers located Ananya at a RaceTrac gas station directly across the street from the hospital. Ananya was placed under arrest and booked at the Paulding County Sheriff Office’s jail.

The Atlanta Police Department said this in a public release:

“After learning of the arrest of Atlanta Police Lt. Renato Anaya, APD Commanders immediately initiated an internal investigation into the incident and placed Lt. Anaya in a non-enforcement status. Chief Schierbaum and APD Commanders take incidents like this very seriously and will review the outcome of the investigation to determine the next steps. At this time, the investigation continues.”

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