WASHINGTON — Police are searching for a suspect who sped away from a Prince George’s County police officer in District Heights Wednesday evening, dragging the officer who was entangled in the car.
Police says 26-year-old Danny Lee Harvell of Temple Hills dragged an officer for about 100 yards before crashing into a tree. Harvell then fled the scene.
Around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday, an officer and his partner were patrolling Todd Drive in District Heights when an officer spotted Harvell, who had been arrested earlier this month on a possession with intent to distribute charge.
One of the officers approached Harvell’s car to try to speak with him, but Harvell wouldn’t answer the officer’s questions and wouldn’t provide identification. The officer opened the car door, but Harvell slammed it shut, police say.
The officer says he reached into the window to try to prevent Harvell from fleeing, but Harvell’s seat belt became entangled in the officer’s arm as Harvell sped off.
When Harvell crashed into the tree, the impact threw the officer to the ground and Harvell ran away.
The officer tried to chase Harvell, but the crash broke his leg.
The officer, a four-year veteran of Prince George’s County Police Department, was hospitalized and underwent surgery to repair an injury to his leg, police said Thursday.
On Saturday, police said the officer was back home recovering.
Our #police officer who was injured when a suspect fled is back home today. Thanks for the support. pic.twitter.com/I91Axudyvs
— PGPDNEWS (@PGPDNews) July 18, 2015
Prince George’s County police and other departments are searching for Harvell. Harvell is charged with attempted second degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer, first and second degree assault and drug charges.
Anyone with information about Harvell’s whereabouts can contact police at 301-772-4911. The District Heights incident was the first of two similar cases involving Prince George’s County police in an eight-hour period. Investigators say that at about 1 a.m. Thursday, an officer approached a stolen car. The driver accelerated and sped away from the scene, pushing the officer up on the hood of the vehicle. The officer is recovering from injuries sustained in the incident. Police are still looking for the driver, who was last seen on Wheeler Road traveling toward D.C. in a 2008 Gold Subaru Outback with D.C. license plate DT2586.
