Police: 1 Arkansas law enforcement official dragged, 1 hit by vehicle as driver flees scene

An officer and an animal control employee in northeast Arkansas were injured Thursday afternoon while attempting to stop a fleeing driver, police said.

The law enforcement officials with the Jonesboro Police Department sustained the injuries while stopping someone at the city’s animal control unit at 6119 E. Highland Drive in Jonesboro, according to a news release.

At one point, the officer was dragged by a motorist’s vehicle as that person fled, authorities said. The animal control worker was soon after struck by the vehicle.

The driver, 27-year-old Kendrick Morris of Jonesboro, was being taken Thursday to the Craighead County jail on charges of second-degree battery, aggravated assault on a certified law enforcement officer and driving with a suspended license.

The police officer was transported to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition as of around 3 p.m. Thursday.

Authorities said the animal control officer’s injuries did not require treatment.

The officers' names were being withheld as of Thursday afternoon pending notification to family members.

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