CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi police officer managed to calmly radio a dispatcher Wednesday morning despite enduring a frightening situation.
"I had a person I had to assist, and (an unknown man) took off in my (police SUV) on Agnes towards Staples," the unnamed officer said to the dispatcher. "I tried to get him out of the car, but he drug me a little bit."
How far is 'A little bit'?
A CCPD spokesperson explained.
"The offender was able to drive away with the officer still halfway in the vehicle," Lt. Michael Pena said. "And it looks like he was drug for 40 to 50 feet.”
The officer went to the hospital, but was treated for only minor injuries.
The man who stole the SUV wrecked it into a utility pole just a few blocks away, disabling it.
He made a run for it, and police have yet to catch him.
When they do, the man will face a number of charges including aggravated assault on a peace officer, a first degree felony.
The officer, who left his police SUV running and unlocked while helping two stranded motorist push their stalled car into a parking lot, will not be reprimanded.
“There’s no policy that I can think of that the officer was in violation," Pena said. "It’s common practice for an officer to leave the vehicle running when they’re only going to be away from the vehicle for a very short period of time."
