Suspect Drives Off, Nearly Dragging Police Officer Along Pavement

A Pasadena Police Sergeant is lucky not to have been seriously injured in an incident earlier this week during which he was nearly dragged along a Hastings Ranch street by a car that accelerated and sped away.

Pasadena Police Lt. Pete Hettema said the officer was responding to a report that the driver had passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle in the area of Hastings Ranch Drive at Ranch Top Road at about 8:28 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Sergeant was doing a “welfare check,” as police call an activity to find out if someone needs help, Hettema said.

“One of our Sergeants went out to check on it. Upon arrival, the officer opened the driver’s side in order to wake up the driver,” Hettema related. “Upon waking up, the driver put the vehicle in drive and took off. The officer who was still holding on to the open driver side door was knocked backwards onto the ground.”

The officer was not run over during the dangerous incident and suffered only minor injuries.

Hettema said the vehicle fled the location and the police department is now looking for it and its driver.

“He was up there apparently doing some kind of drug activity,” Hettema said. “He had some paraphernalia on his chest at the time and took off in the car absolutely knowing it was an officer that was there. We’re chasing him down.”

Hettema said by the car’s description, officers are now looking for the owner and they would be stopping the car if it is seen out on the road.

The officer who conducted the welfare check did not suffer any serious injuries and did not require hospitalization, he said.