Dragging PG County Officer with Car Earns Prison Sentence

UPPER MARLBORO, MD — A Prince George’s County man whose car dragged a police officer about 100 yards after a traffic stop — breaking the officer's leg — has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Danny Lee Harvell, 27, of Temple Hills, had pleaded guilty earlier to first-degree assault for the July 15, 2015, incident. Police initially charged him with attempted second-degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer, first- and second-degree assault and drug charges.

The officer and his partner were on patrol on Todd Drive in District Heights, which had seen a rise in home break-ins. The officers saw Harvell sitting in a car, knew he didn’t live in the neighborhood, police say, and knew he was arrested earlier on a possession with intent to distribute charge.

When the officer riding in the passenger seat went to speak with Harvell, he refused to answer questions and wouldn’t provide his identification. When the officer reached into the window to try to keep Harvell from fleeing, he reportedly put his car in gear. That engaged the car’s automatic seatbelt, which became entangled around the officer’s arm.

Harvell reportedly sped off with the officer hanging from the side of the car for about 100 yards before it crashed into a tree. The officer was thrown to the ground and Harvell ran away. The officer tried to chase after him, but he had suffered a broken leg.

Harvell was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison with all but four of those years suspended, reports WTOP.

»Photos of Danny Harvell, accident scene, courtesy of Prince George’s County Police Department