Arkansas Police Officer Recovering After Being Dragged, Ran Over

A Tontitown, Arkansas police officer is recovering after he was dragged during a traffic stop on Dec. 30.

The officer responded to the area of 1089 East Henri De Tonti around 1:20 a.m. for a report of an intoxicated driver urinating in a parking lot and driving a Ford pick up truck, according to a news release.

The officer located a vehicle matching the description and made contact with the driver, later identified as Eddie Lee Marchant.

Upon making contact, the officer ordered the driver to step from the vehicle due to the suspicion of DWI. The driver refused and began to speed away. As the vehicle began to move forward, the officer's equipment became hung on the vehicle near the driver's side door. The vehicle continued at a high rate of speed, dragging the officer.

The officer was drug over 70 feet before he was thrown on the ground. The vehicle continued and ran over the officer before fleeing east on U.S. Highway 412.

The officer was able to give a description of the vehicle and the direction it was traveling to Washington County Disaptch before requesting an ambulance.

The officer was transported to Washington Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries even though his pelvic area and right leg had been ran over. He was treated and released.

An area-wide BOLO was given out to local departments and the Benton County Sheriff's Department was able to locate the vehicle at a residence on Robbins Road north of Elm Springs in Springdale.

Eddie Lee Marchant, 54, was arrested without incident.