An Akron police officer was dragged by a car for a couple blocks as a man tried to flee from a traffic stop early Saturday.
According to police, around 12:30 a.m., officers were monitoring an after hours pub on South Arlington Street when a driver saw the cops and took off.
The officers were able to pull the driver, who had expired plates, over at the intersection of Sylvan Avenue and Wyley Avenue.
Officers said the man appeared to be very nervous and was breathing heavily. He told police he did not have a license.
As one of the officers asked the man to get out of the car, he put it in gear. Then, when an officer grabbed onto the man's arm to put the car back in park, the man accelerated.
The officer was dragged for a couple blocks as he hung on to the man and car, according to police. When he was repeatedly commanded to stop the car, the driver swayed the car back and forth in an attempt to knock the officer off. The officer suffered minor injuries including road rash.
The driver crashed a short time later. Officers found the car in the 800 block of Davies Avenue hiding in a back yard. The suspect had gotten out and ran. Officers later found him in the back yard of a home in the 800 block of Georgia Avenue. He attempted to run again after police caught him.
Police said the man continued to struggle with officers as he was being handcuffed and refused to follow commands. Officers found a small bag of marijuana on the man when he was patted down.
The suspect was identified as Demardre L. Johnson, 29, of Akron. Johnson was charged with felonious assault, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, obstructing official business, failure to comply with police orders and failure to comply with police signals, and eluding. Officers also learned Johnson had an arrest warrant out for burglary, dangerous drugs, and damaging and endangering.
Police said Johnson was treated at the scene for minor injuries and then booked in Summit County Jail.
The injured officer, who police said was an eight-year veteran assigned to the patrol division, was taken to Akron General Medical Center for treatment and was released.
