UPDATE (Sept. 25, 2:17 p.m.): Cardal Dwayne Haywood was also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a peace officer, fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer, following too closely, possession and use of drug related objects, possession of firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, possession of marijuana less than one ounce, willful obstruction of law enforcement officers - misdemeanor. Haywood remains in the Rockdale County jail as of Tuesday morning.

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UPDATE: A 20-year-old man was shot in the leg when he tried to run and pointed an AK-47 at the trooper that pulled his car over Thursday morning.

Cardal Dwayne Haywood of Covington was charged with assault on a police officer with other charges pending. Haywood didn't have any outstanding warrants but is a convicted felon and cannot legally possess any type of firearm, according to John Bankhead, a spokesperson with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Around 11:20 a.m., a Georgia State Patrol Trooper was heading north on Salem Road near Ingles when he noticed a silver Mitsubishi Galant following too closely to the car ahead of it.

According to GSP spokesperson Gordy Wright, the trooper attempted to make a traffic stop but the suspect, later identified as Haywood, pulled into the QuikTrip parking lot and then continued to drive behind it and behind the row of businesses behind that. The trooper, who is normally based out of an Atlanta motorcycle unit but was in the area, pulled his patrol car parallel with the Galant and forced it to stop, blocking the driver's side door from opening.

The suspect came out the passenger side and began fleeing on foot and reportedly pointed the semi-automatic gun, an AK-47, at the trooper, according to Wright.

The trooper shot and hit Haywood once in the thigh. The suspect, who witnesses described as being able to stand, was taken into custody.

Nearby business owner Gloria Dyer said she heard multiple shots and ran outside to see what was happening. She said she heard a man say he was shot.

"It was scary," she said. "Nothing like that ever happened around here."

The injury was reportedly non-life threatening but a medical helicopter flight was called and Haywood was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Wright said the 24-year-old trooper, who will be isolated and interviewed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations as standard procedure, had been on the force for about six years and on the road as a patrol trooper for two years.

The shooting occured a couple hundred yards away from the Kids-R-Kids daycare center on Salem Road.

GBI was called in to handle the investigation of the incident. Rockdale County Sheriff's Office deputies assisted with the crime scene control.

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IN BRIEF (Sept. 20, 12:02 p.m.) : A suspect was shot in an incident involving a car chase with a Georgia State Trooper today behind the QuikTrip on Salem Road in Rockdale this morning. The suspect is in custody, according to the Georgia State Patrol public information office. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations has been called out to the crime scene to assist. Lifeflight was called to the scene.

Check back to rockdalenews.com for more information later.