By David Cifarelli
masslive.com
TAUNTON, Mass. — A 35-year-old man from Taunton is facing multiple charges in connection with an incident where a police officer, who was stabbed in the face and back of the head, was among five officers hurt, officials said.
Douglas Hagerty will appear in Taunton District Court Wednesday morning, Sept. 27, on charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon and armed assault with intent to murder, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said.
The charges stem from an incident that started when an officer pulled a vehicle over for a moving violation near 716 County St. around 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, the department said in a statement.
During the traffic stop another driver in a 2010 gray Honda Accord, later identified as Hagerty, pulled up and started shouting at police, according to the police. Hagerty, who was not affiliated with the stopped driver, then sped away, police said. Police, who said he was known to officials, did not pursue him.
Shortly after, another officer saw the Honda driving recklessly, according to the police report. When the officer pulled the car over, the Hagerty fled from police and almost hit an officer who was walking toward the vehicle, the report said.
This time police did pursue the vehicle. It crashed into the front of a multi-family home on West Britannia Street, which was also Hagerty’s home, according to police.
As officers chased him inside the house, Hagerty pulled out a knife and started waving it at police. Chief Edward James Walsh, who lives nearby, responded and was slashed in the chest, police said. He was later treated and released at Morton Hospital.
Another officer sustained serious slash wounds, including injuries to the face and back of his head. He was airlifted to a Boston hospital for treatment, police said.
Another officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment for knife wounds. Two more officers were treated Tuesday evening at Morton Hospital for injuries, according to police.
Police used a TASER device on Hagerty and he was taken into custody around 7 p.m., according to police.
The rest of Hagerty’s charges are malicious damage to a motor vehicle, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, resisting arrest, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and failure to stop for police, the district attorney’s office said.
The investigation is ongoing.
—
©2023 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit masslive.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.