A North Little Rock officer was lightly injured Thursday afternoon when, police say, the suspect dragged the officer with his vehicle while fleeing the scene of a traffic stop in the Levy neighborhood.
The officer, who was not named or otherwise identified, was involved in a traffic stop shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday in the 3500 block of Pike Avenue, according to a news release from the North Little Rock Police Department. The site of the traffic stop is about two-tenths of a mile north of Interstate 40.
Montrell Jones, 22, was pulled over for a "non-moving traffic violation," according to the news release. During the stop, police said, Jones put his car in gear and fled, striking one police patrol vehicle and dragging the officer into a second patrol vehicle, throwing the officer over the hood. The officer was treated for minor injuries on the scene and released.
Police and state troopers said they pursued Jones. The pursuit ended when, police said, a trooper forcibly stopped Jones' vehicle about 11 miles to the south in the 7500 block of Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock. The trooper used a precision immobilization technique maneuver, or PIT maneuver, in which the trooper rams the rear of a suspect's vehicle in an attempt to make that vehicle spin out of control.
Jones was arrested and taken to an area hospital to be treated for minor injuries, the release states.
Jones faces three counts of aggravated assault, and one count apiece of fleeing, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence, criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held in the Pulaski County jail on Thursday evening without bond until his first court appearance, the North Little Rock Police Department release states.