By Robert Moran
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — A police officer survived with no serious injuries after he held on to the driver of a fleeing SUV for a half mile Tuesday night in West Philadelphia, police said.
Around 9:15 p.m., two uniformed officers stopped the driver of a Nissan Murano SUV on Baltimore Avenue at 53rd Street because the vehicle had an expired temporary tag and non-functioning brake lights, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.
While questioning the driver, the officers noticed what appeared to be a handgun in the pocket of the 25-year-old man’s hooded sweatshirt and told him to turn off the vehicle, which he did, Small said.
The driver then allegedly appeared to reach for the gun so one of the officers reached into the car to grab the man and the gun, Small said. The driver then restarted the SUV and sped off with the officer hanging on through the open driver-side door.
“He’s hanging on for life,” Small said.
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The officer’s partner returned to their patrol vehicle to chase after the Nissan for more than a half mile until the SUV crashed into two vehicles and a concrete object at 48th Street and Baltimore, Small said. Converging officers responding to the incident arrested the driver and recovered a semi-automatic handgun that had been reported as stolen.
The officer was taken by medics to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center to be treated for a laceration to his neck and other minor injuries, Small said. The driver of the Nissan was taken to Mercy Hospital to be evaluated and will face numerous charges.
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