Police bodycam video shows Atlanta cop making football tackle on shoplifter accused of stealing big-screen TVs from Target: 'I don’t want to go to f***ing jail!'

Police bodycam video shows the moment an Atlanta cop makes a football tackle of a man accused of stealing two big-screen TVs from a Target in Georgia.

Around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, an officer with the Atlanta Police Department was flagged down by a security guard at the Target on Caroline Street.

The security guard informed the officer that a man was suspected of stealing a large-screen television and had returned to the retail store to steal another one. The suspect was stopped at the store's exit by security as he attempted to roll out a big-screen TV, according to a statement from the Atlanta Police Department.

Bodycam footage shows the officer taking out a stun gun as he approached the exit of the Target. As soon as the suspect spotted the police officer, he sprinted back inside of the retail location. The fleeing man ran to the entrance of the Target and escaped outside with the cop in pursuit.

The wild bodycam video and footage from the police cruiser show the officer make a football tackle on the suspect in the middle of the street outside of the Target.

The suspect yelled, "C'mon man! I didn't do s**t!"

The officer instructed the man to "stop resisting" arrest.

The suspected thief screamed, "I don't want to go to f***ing jail! I don't want to go to jail!"

The man can be heard on video making guttural noises.

The suspect yelled, "Please stop, I need to go to the hospital!"

Video shows the officer and suspect tussling in the middle of the street with witnesses and cars nearby.

An onlooker assisted the cop in restraining the suspected shoplifter.

Finally, police reinforcements arrived and the suspect is arrested.

The Atlanta Police Department said the officer suffered minor scrapes during the physical altercation.

"This is a great example of how quickly things can change for our officers and how important it is our officers are prepared for anything they might face during their shift," the Atlanta Police Department said of the encounter. "The officer’s training kicked in and he remained calm and in control, despite the suspect’s repeated attempts to overpower him during the fight."

Police did not name the suspect or the charges he faces.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

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