Lakewood Man Charged After Hitting Officer While Fleeing Investigation: Police

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A Lakewood man has been charged with aggravated assault after he hit a police officer with a car Thursday night, police said.

Rashad S. Anderson, 30, was arrested in Jackson about 3 hours after he hit Lakewood Detective Sgt. Jason Pederson while fleeing a drug investigation, said Detective Lt. Gregory Staffordsmith, the Lakewood Police Department spokesman.

Staffordsmith said Anderson and Officer Tyler Distefano were approaching a white Nissan Altima on Locust Street near New Hampshire Avenue just before 6 p.m. because they suspected the car's occupants of distributing illegal narcotics.

As they approached, the driver of the Nissan, later identifed as Anderson, drove directly toward Pederson, hitting the detective and causing him to land on the hood before rolling off onto the ground, Staffordsmith said.

The Nissan took off, and Pederson was taken to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, where he was treated for minor injuries and released, Staffordsmith said.

Police officers from Jackson Township located the car on Bluebell Court and set up surveillance on the car and a nearby apartment, he said. Anderson was arrested about 9:20 p.m. after officers from both Jackson and Lakewood saw him near the front door of the apartment, Staffordsmith said.

Anderson was being held at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault causing injury, and eluding a law enforcement officer, according to jail records.

At this time the investigation is ongoing, Staffordsmith said.

Rashad Anderson photo via Ocean County Corrections website