CAMDEN — By TAMMY FRAZIER
Managing editor
An incident over the weekend involving a hit-and-run accident left a Camden Police Department officer injured, according to a CPD news release on Monday.
The release states that on Friday, May 17, CPD responded to a call about a hit-and-run accident on Newton Street. Witnesses stated that the vehicle that fled the scene was a red truck driven by a Hispanic male named “Andrew.” It was also determined that the vehicle the suspect was driving would have damage to its front left corner.
On Saturday, May 18, CPD officers received a call about a suspicious vehicle in the Riverside Courts housing complex. CPD Officer Jake Perry and Sgt. Sharlotte Elliott responded to the call.
The caller stated that a Hispanic male in a red truck was driving back and forth in the area waving money at her and asking her to get in the truck with him. The area was searched, the red truck was found, the driver was identified as Andrew Garcia, and the report states that there was a female in the truck with him. At the traffic stop, officers noticed that the truck had damage on its front left corner.
Garcia denied any involvement in the earlier traffic incident, but it was noticed that there was broken glass in the vehicle, and that Garcia had cuts on his face from the glass. Elliott was returning to the patrol vehicle to run a warrant check as Garcia put the vehicle in gear to drive away.
Perry ordered Garcia to stop and reached inside the truck to remove Garcia, who sped away from the scene with Perry still holding on to the vehicle.
Perry was dragged several feet before he let go of the truck and as he did so, Garcia ran over Perry’s left arm and leg. Garcia continued to drive away at a high rate of speed as he left the area. Elliott called for an EMT and for assistance from the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Department due to Garcia’s home address being in Harmony Grove.
Perry was transported to OCMC for treatment.
His condition was unknown as of Monday evening.
Garcia was located later Saturday morning at his home.
He has been charged with first-degree battery and felony fleeing.