One Year Ago On Patch: Police Ambushed by Yellow Jackets

(Photo: Brookhaven Police Department)

Brookhaven police officer John Ritch and his K-9 partner were in pursuit of a suspect on foot in a wooded area off I-85 when he mistakenly stepped into an active yellow jacket’s nest.

Ritch was immediately swarmed by “hundreds, if not thousands, of yellow jackets” that flew into his clothing, nose, and mouth, Brookhaven Police Major Brandon Gurley told WSB-TV.

Suffering around 100 stings and showing signs of a severe allergic reaction, the officer was taken by police car to Grady Memorial Hospital. The K-9, also stung, was treated at an emergency veterinary clinic in Sandy Springs, the Brookhaven Post reports.

Often having concealed nests, yellow jackets are known for being aggressive and predatory, stinging a perceived threat repeatedly with their barbed stingers. Even those like Ritch, who are not allergic to bee and wasp venom, will suffer a reaction if stung enough.

According to Gurley, his fellow officer is in stable condition but will remain in hospital care until he’s made a full recovery. In an update from the Brookhaven Post, both Ritch’s K-9 partner and Officer Russell Chatham, who was stung while getting Ritch to the hospital, have been released.