Nassau Man Fleeing Traffic Stop Dragged Officer: Police

A West Hempstead man was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer after officials say he dragged an officer with his car while trying to flee a traffic stop early Friday morning.

According to police, officers saw a blue Ford Explorer make multiple traffic infractions while heading south on Brookside Avenue in Roosevelt at 3 a.m. Friday. The officers pulled the car over on West Pennywood Avenue, police said. As the officers approached the car, police say the driver -- Kenneth Grafton, 45, of Woodfield Road, West Hempstead -- ignored the officers's commands to show his hands and instead reached into the center console, where the officers saw multiple glassine envelopes.

After being asked to step out of the car, police say Grafton put the car into drive and began to take off, dragging an officer with him who was had reached into the car to try to put it into park.

The officer managed to get himself out of the window, police said, and though he was injured, headed back to his car and began to follow Grafton. Grafton drove onto Uniondale Avenue, police say, where he crached into two parked cars and flipped his own. The officers got Grafton out of his car and placed him under arrest. both Grafton and the officer were taken to a hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Police say that glassine envelopes containing heroin were recovered from Grafton's car.

Grafton is charged with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful fleeing of a police officer, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree reckless endangerment and numerous vehicle and traffic law violations. He will be arraigned when medically practical.