EAST POINT - An East Point police officer and a motorist were killed in a hit-and-run accident on Interstate 285 in metro Atlanta early Sunday. <br>
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Another officer was seriously injured in the accident. <br>
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Officer Christopher Betts, 26, was killed after he and his partner, Officer James Weinman, 27, were called to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle along I-285 around 1 a.m. <br>
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The suspect resisted arrest and the ensuing scuffle spilled out onto the right hand lane of the busy highway. <br>
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Three cars struck the men, with one dragging Betts ``for some distance'' along the road, East Point Police Chief Frank Brown said. Two of the cars stopped but the third kept going, he said. <br>
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Betts and the initial suspect, who was not carrying identification, were killed instantly. <br>
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East Point police said they are looking for a burgundy car with extensive front-end damage. <br>
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``We lost one of our brothers today,'' Lt. Cliff Gibson said. <br>
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Weinman was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center where he underwent surgery. He sustained injuries to his leg and fractured his pelvis, Gibson said. He remains in serious but stable condition. <br>
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Sunday's accident was the first time an officer has been killed in the line of duty in East Point since 1969, Brown said. <br>
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``We know these things are apt to happen but this department has been very lucky,'' he said. ``This is an unfortunate accident.'' <br>
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Betts and Weinman attended the police academy together. They each had about two years experience as police officers. <br>
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Betts is survived by his wife, Shannon Betts, and seven-week-old son Trenton James Betts.
