Sheriff’s deputy dragged by car

A sheriff’s deputy was not injured after he was dragged some distance by the driver of a car trying to escape from law-enforcement officers over the weekend in the village of Constantine.

Constantine Police Chief Mark Honeysett said an officer from his department stopped a vehicle for a plate violation shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of South Washington Street.

During the stop, the driver of the vehicle backed into the police cruiser, then turned around and headed for the exit of a mobile home community. At the time, a sheriff’s deputy was pulling into the trailer park as back up. The suspect rammed the deputy’s cruiser and then tried to drive around it, according to Honeysett.

The deputy used his service weapon to break the driver’s window and reached into the fleeing vehicle. The deputy was dragged some distance before freeing himself from the car. Honeysett said the Constantine officer fired one shot at the suspect, but the suspect was unharmed.

The Constantine officer pursued the suspect southbound into LaGrange County, where the suspect’s car eventually crashed on State Road 120.

Honeysett said his department will seek charges of felonious assault, fleeing and eluding and likely other offenses.

Honeysett said the vehicle involved was stolen out of Colorado.