Police officer suffers head injury during ATV traffic stop

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) – An Elizabethtown police officer suffered a fractured skull after being dragged by a fleeing all-terrain vehicle during a traffic stop.

The Elizabethtown Police Department says in a news release that 54-year-old officer Ron Caffee is in stable condition following the Saturday night incident.

Authorities say 34-year-old ATV driver Alex Dowell fled a traffic stop after police received a call about reckless driving. Dowell had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. Caffee, who tried to grab Dowell, was dragged several feet, struck his head on the pavement and suffered two brain bleeds.

Dowell was arrested without incident later that night. He is charged with first-degree assault, a felony punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison. He was wanted for fleeing and drug possession. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.