A Bradenton officer is recovering after being dragged by a driver who was attempting to flee a traffic stop Tuesday.
According to the Bradenton Police Department, at 11:35 p.m. Officer Shane Sharp attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 1200 block of Martin Luther King Avenue East.
Police said Sharp followed the vehicle for several blocks until the driver, identified as L M-R, 19, finally stopped. Officer Sharp then asked M-R multiple times to turn off the car, but the driver refused.
Officer Sharp opened the driver’s side door to reach in and shift the car into park, and it was at this point that police say, M-R accelerated rapidly, pinning Officer Sharp’s body against the dashboard.
The vehicle traveled about 150 feet before crashing into a pole.
The Bradenton Police Department reported that M-R struck several officers and resisted arrest before being apprehended and taken to the Manatee County Jail.
In a search of the vehicle, Crime Reduction Team detectives found more than kilogram of marijuana and 62 THC vape cartridges.
Officer Sharp sustained a concussion, arm injuries that included a dislocated shoulder, and minor leg injuries. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and has since been released.
The Bradenton Police Department has charged M-R with aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, driving while license is revoked, and possession with intent to sell.
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Source: wfla
