CMPD Officer Injured After Being Dragged Over 100 Yards In Vehicle
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A CMPD officer is recovering after being dragged over 100 yards in a vehicle that eventually crashed into a tree and overturned.
The officer was attempting to detain a suspect in a suspicious weapon parked on the side of a road in a neighborhood around 2:30am, according to officials.
Police say this wasn’t the first encounter they have had with these suspects. On May 4th, three officers observed a suspicious vehicle occupied by two men, later identified as Deveno and Zevaguis Sturgis.
Officers were on Maribel Avenue after receiving a 911 call about someone in the area threatening people with a rifle. During that encounter, both suspects were arrested after two stolen firearms and a small amount of crack cocaine were located inside their vehicle.
On June 12th, police say they were patrolling the neighborhood just before 2:30am when they recognized the same vehicle and the same suspects parked on the side of the street. Officers approached the SUV and reportedly saw drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.
When the officers began to detain the suspects, police say the passenger attempted to run away but was eventually apprehended after actively resisting arrest and struggling with one of the officers, according to a news release.
At the same time, police say the driver of the vehicle began reaching down towards the passenger-side floorboard of the SUV. The officer talking to the driver says he knew there had been two stolen guns inside the same vehicle just a few weeks prior so he reached into the vehicle and grabbed the suspect’s arms to prevent him from being able to grab whatever item he was trying to retrieve, according to a news release.
Police say the encounter escalated when the suspect was able to start the vehicle and began driving off with the officer partially trapped inside the SUV. After traveling over 100 yards, the suspect drove the vehicle off the roadway and into a tree, causing the SUV to flip over. The injured officer was reportedly able to crawl out of the flipped SUV and the suspect was removed from the vehicle and arrested by assisting officers.
Police say they located crack cocaine, marijuana and a loaded handgun inside the vehicle. The officer was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and released for minor injuries to his hand, leg and nose.
Deveno Sturgis has been charged with assault on a law enforcement officer causing injury, reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle while fleeing law enforcement, possession of Schedule II narcotic, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest.
Zevaguis Sturgis has been charged with possession of marijuana and resisting arrest.
