Hamilton man facing charges after officer dragged by vehicle on Red Hill Valley Parkway
A driver is facing several charges after a Hamilton police officer was dragged down the Red Hill Valley Parkway during an attempted arrest.
Speaking to reporters near the scene, Const. Indy Bharaj said officers were called to the parkway for a two-vehicle collision on the southbound side near Greenhill Avenue just before noon Wednesday.
Bharaj said while officers were investigating the crash, a motorist driving erratically" - weaving in and out of traffic - on the parkway caught their attention, leading one of the officers to conduct a traffic stop.
While the officer was attempting to arrest the driver, Bharaj said the motorist allegedly rolled up the window and the officer's arms got caught in the vehicle and was dragged for some distance."
Bharaj said once the officer's arms were freed from the vehicle, he made his way back to his cruiser and attempted to follow the suspect. However, the vehicle that allegedly struck the officer drove off, and he lost sight" of the driver.
Const. Krista-Lee Ernst told The Spectator the suspect vehicle was located by police at around 12:10 p.m. and the alleged driver was arrested.
Bharaj could not say where the vehicle was located.
A 29-year-old Hamilton man is facing a number of charges, including assaulting a police officer, fleeing from police, dangerous operation of a vehicle and failing to remain at a scene.
Bharaj said the officer sustained minor injuries in the incident and had returned to the east-end police station before 2 p.m.
It could have been a lot more tragic," said Bharaj. He sustained some bumps and bruises, which I'm sure he'll feel them tomorrow, but at this time, he's in good health."
A section of the southbound Red Hill was closed while police were investigating the incident. The parkway was fully reopened just before 2:20 p.m.
Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com
Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com