A UK judge has handed a four-year prison sentence to a driver who dragged a police officer along the ground as he held onto the car door handle by one hand.
Cooper had admitted on Nov. 16 to actual bodily harm, assaulting an emergency worker, dangerous driving, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
In addition to dragging one police officer along and running over their foot, Cooper had also punched a female officer in the head.
“This was a horrific attack on colleagues who were just trying to do their job,” investigating officer PC Owen Clements of Grays CID said.
“Thankfully they were not seriously harmed but there could easily have been a very different outcome if that car had not stopped.”
Cooper was in a Vauxhall Corsa parked on a grass verge in Chafford Hundred, Essex, on 14 Jan. when two officers on patrol identified the car as having no insurance or a registered keeper.
They noticed half snooker cues, a golf club, and remnants of cannabis in the back, and asked him to step out of the car, according to Essex Police.
But as one of the officers opened the door, Cooper started to drive off, dragging him along by the handle.
Cooper threatened to kill the officer, then ran over his foot.
Unperturbed, the officer tried to grab the wheel and the keys, as his female colleague tried to assist as the car came to a stop.
After Cooper was pulled out of the car, a struggle ensued with the male officer.
When the other officer tried to calm Cooper, he punched her in the head, knocking her to the ground.
As Cooper ran off, the officer, back on her feet, gave chase, tackling him as he tried to climb a gate and detaining him with the help of other officers, according to the police.
Snaking tyre tracks across the grass verge, where the police officer was dragged, can be seen in a photograph of the scene released by Essex Police.
In addition to a total jail time of four years and three months, Cooper was also ordered to pay £600 compensation and £200 costs.
