A man is in jail after a traffic stop turned into a car chase that could have been tragic for the trooper who stopped him.
Massachusetts State Police released dashcam footage of the incident while they were searching for him on Thursday before his arrest later that day.
It shows two soldiers leaning against the door of 31-year-old Derek Lobo on Brockton Street on Wednesday. Police said a trooper had pulled him over for a motor vehicle violation.
The footage shows one soldier quickly leaning towards the vehicle in a matter of a second while the other tries to pull his colleague away. At that moment, Lobo speeds up, jerking the car off the shoulder back onto the road, with one soldier’s foot dangerously close to the tire and the other soldier still crouching inside the open door on the driver’s side.
The cop holding the car door is dragged along with Lobo for several yards, then he is soon dropped in the middle of the road as another cop runs back to the police car. The fallen soldier then stands on his feet and starts chasing the driver along with his partner.
They were unable to find Lobo after an initial chase, after which they posted dashcam footage and asked for the public’s help in finding him.
After an “extensive investigation”, multiple troopers from various units – including the officer pulled over by Lobo – located the wanted driver inside a Brockton residence and took him into custody.
He was booked on 11 separate charges, including assault on a police officer and assault with a dangerous weapon, trafficking in fentanyl, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and other traffic violations.
Lobo’s bail was set at $5,000, and he is expected to be arraigned on Friday.
The police department said the soldier who was dragged suffered minor injuries.