By Jeff Lehr
The Joplin Globe
JOPLIN, Mo. — A Joplin police officer was injured early Saturday morning when he was dragged by a motorcyclist whom he was trying to apprehend.
The operator of the motorcycle, Paul G. Haney, 19, of Joplin, was arrested the following day in Newton County and charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer.
Capt. Bob Higginbotham of the Joplin Police Department said in a news release today that about 1 a.m. Saturday police Sgt. Rusty Rives observed two motorcycles eastbound on 32nd Street from Wisconsin Avenue traveling at 124 miles per hour.
Both motorcyclists were known to police as suspects who have had multiple interactions with patrol officers in recent weeks, allegedly taunting officers with the operation of their motorcycles in apparent efforts to provoke pursuits.
Rives observed the motorcycles again a short time later traveling north on Main Street from 32nd Street. One of them, believed to have been Haney, drove into the oncoming lanes directly at a southbound patrol car before going around the car and continuing northbound.
Rives subsequently waited on foot for the motorcyclists at 15th and Main Streets. When they stopped at the light there, he approached Haney on foot and attempted to take him into custody. But when Rives grabbed Haney’s hooded sweatshirt, he became entangled in the garment as the suspect took off at a high rate of speed, dragging him a short distance with the bike and dislocating the officer’s shoulder.
Rives drove himself to the hospital where he was treated and released.
Multiple agencies began a search for the suspect, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Jasper County Sheriff’s Department and Newton Country Sheriff’s Department, with Newton County deputies finally locating him on Sunday and making the arrest.
Haney remained in custody today on a $5,000 bond.