By Ashley Cook, The Lufkin Daily News (Texas)
A Lufkin Police officer was nearly struck by a car Sunday night by a man trying to escape arrest with an apparent methamphetamine lab in his car, police said.
Sgt. Charlie Graham was attempting to stop Niles Ashton Frazier, 33, whom police suspected had drugs in his car, Lt. Greg Denman said Monday.
Homeowners in the 1300 block of Voyle Street had called police earlier to get Frazier to leave their house, according to a police report.
Denman said Frazier broke and ran from police in his car, just missing Graham.
“He was able to get out of the way and keep from being hurt,” Denman said.
Officers stopped Frazier after he ran his car off into a ditch, Denman said. Inside the car, officers discovered chemicals and equipment allegedly used to manufacture methamphetamine, Denman said.
Frazier was charged with aggravated assault, evading arrest and manufacturing a controlled substance.
Graham was the second Lufkin Police officer to narrowly escape injury by a car Sunday. Officer Jim Porter was nearly hit Sunday morning by a man fleeing from police on Loop 287 at Ford Chapel Road.