Drug suspect drags, injures York Co. officer in Fort Mill, jailed after car pursuit
A drug trafficking suspect is accused of dragging and injuring a York County police officer late Thursday before leading police on a chase into Rock Hill before the suspect was caught.
Bryan Leif Abel, 44, of Rock Hill, is charged with drug trafficking as well as assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for inujuring the officer, police reports show.
Late Thursday night officers with the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit stopped Abel near Sutton Road in Fort Mill after he crossed the center line while driving, according to an incident report. When agents approached the vehicle they allegedly noticed illegal drugs and asked Abel to step out of the vehicle.
Abel then allegedly sped off with officer Everett Atwell hung up in the window of the car, according to Marvin Brown, commander of the drug unit.
Atwell was dragged about 50 yards before dislodging himself from the car, Brown said.
“The officer was bruised up,” Brown said.
Atwell, a Fort Mill Police Department officer assigned to the York County drug unit, was treated and released, said Maj. Bryan Zachary, spokesman for the department.
After Abel sped off, he led officers on a chase down U.S. 21 to Celanese Road and other streets in Rock Hill before he stopped and fled on foot as the vehicle continued to roll forward, the report states. Officers captured Abel after a short foot pursuit.
In the car police allegedly found more than 10 grams of meth, other drugs, a scale, and other items, officers said.
Abel, who remains in the York County jail, faces a total of 14 charges, according to police and jail records. In addition to felony drug trafficking and assault against the officer, Abel is charged with failure to stop for police causing injury, seven other felony drug charges, and four driving offenses.
Andrew Dys: 803-329-4065, @AndrewDysHerald
This story was originally published March 5, 2018 at 9:43 AM with the headline "Drug suspect drags, injures York Co. officer in Fort Mill, jailed after car pursuit."