NH police: Florida driver dragged trooper with car at Portsmouth gas station
PORTSMOUTH — Police allege an Orlando, Florida, man briefly dragged a New Hampshire state trooper with his car Thursday night during an incident that ended with his arrest on 12 charges, including three felonies.
The trooper was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and has since been discharged, according to State Police.
Michael Anthony Arrington, 28, was driving a 2014 Audi Q5 with Florida registration, police said. At 10:06 p.m. Thursday, state police were called and told a car had fled from Portsmouth police on Islington Street a few minutes earlier.
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Troopers located the vehicle five minutes later parked at a Shell gas station on Route 1 Bypass in Portsmouth, police said. However, when troopers made contact with Arrington, police allege, he started the car and drove quickly out of the parking lot, dragging a trooper with the car a short distance "before the trooper disengaged," police said.
The suspect then fled at high speed, driving into Kittery, evading police, then spotted by Kittery police, before driving out of sight, police said.
New Hampshire State Police Sgt. Gary Wood Jr. spotted the vehicle driving on Interstate 95 south a few minutes later and attempted to stop the vehicle, which fled again, police said. This pursuit was brief, police said, as Arrington stopped and was arrested.
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State police allege Arrington at first gave a false identity to troopers.
Arrington's charges include two felony counts of reckless conduct and a felony count of second degree assault. He is also facing three counts of disobeying an officer, two counts of resisting arrest, two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of liquor, one count of driving under the influence of liquor and for operating after revocation or suspension of a license, all misdemeanor charges.
The Florida man refused bail commissioner services and was transported to the Rockingham County House of Corrections before a scheduled appearance in the Rockingham County Superior Court on Friday, police said. A court official said he was being represented by a public defender, but the identity of the attorney was not immediately known.
New Hampshire State Police said they were assisted by Portsmouth and Kittery police, as well as the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing, police said. Police ask anyone with information to email Wood at Gary.J.WoodJr@dos.nh.gov.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH police: Florida driver dragged trooper with car in Portsmouth
