The Philadelphia Inquirer
A Darby Borough, Penn. police officer hanging out of a suspect’s car window was dragged more than 100 feet yesterday after the man, who was being issued a traffic citation, attempted to escape.
The officer was treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for scrapes and bruises to his arms and legs. His arms, which still have fragments of glass in them from a broken window, were badly skinned, Mayor Paula Brown said. He is home recovering, she said.
Police said that around 4:30 a.m. Officer Eamon Curran noticed a car drive through through a stop sign at the intersection of North 10th Street and Ridge Avenue.
When the driver, identified as Rishaan Wilson, 19, of the 2600 block of Massey Street, was pulled over, police said, he looked “severely nervous.” Officers said they also smelled marijuana inside the car and found an unregistered 9mm handgun on the front seat.
Police asked Wilson to step out of the vehicle. Wilson appeared to comply, police said, but immediately pushed away from officers, got back into the car, and accelerated.
Curran then tried to jump into the vehicle. After being dragged about 40 yards, police said, Curran was thrown from the car.
Police said they found Wilson’s car in the 700 block of Main Street. It was badly damaged after smashing into a pole on the corner. Police caught up with Wilson around 6:30 a.m. in an abandoned house at 703 Commerce St., where he was arrested..
Felony charges against Wilson include attempted homicide, assault, burglary, and weapons counts. He was being held at the Delaware County Prison after failing to post $1 million bail.