An early-morning traffic stop on Sunday landed a local police officer in the hospital and a Georgia man behind bars.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:45 a.m., at the intersection of Craig and South Main streets, after officer Ryan James stopped a pickup driven by 48-year-old Gary Hinton, of Byron, Ga., on suspicion that the man was driving recklessly, according to a police report.

Scott Walden, an agent with the 21st Judicial Drug Task force, said the officer could smell alcohol and proceeded to conduct a field sobriety test.

Walden said Hinton failed the first test and refused to take any more tests, and so he was placed under arrest. Walden said Hinton got away from James and began swinging at him.

“James attempted to gain control of him, but they fell to the ground,” Walden said.

At that point, Walden said, Hinton attempted to hide under his truck. James and a backup officer corralled Hinton, Walden said, and charged him with first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, escape in the first degree, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and DUI.

James was sent to Atmore Community Hospital after the altercation, Walden said, with swelling on his knee and elbow and cuts on his arms, elbows and knees. James suffered no broken bones, but Walden said the officer could have sustained ligament damage.