Alpharetta officer dragged alongside car; driver charged with assault, DUI
An Alpharetta man faces nine charges after a police dashboard camera appeared to show him dragging an officer alongside his car during an arrest attempt.
Dennis Aguirre, 24, is charged with DUI, aggravated assault against a peace officer and reckless driving in connection with the incident, which happened on Old Milton Parkway on April 5.
An officer noticed that Aguirre was driving recklessly and pulled him over, Alpharetta police said in a statement. While they spoke, the officer began to suspect that Aguirre was impaired and that there were illegal drugs in the car.
“Due to Mr. Aguirre’s responses and behavior, he was ordered to get out of his car and was in the process of being detained when he struggled with our officer, got back into his car and attempted to drive off with the officer holding onto him,” the statement said.
Footage appears to show Aguirre’s car dragging the officer several feet. Police said Aguirre pinned the officer’s arm inside the car so he couldn’t let go.
Eventually, the officer stopped the vehicle. Aguirre continued to fight and tried to run away until he was tackled and taken into custody, police said.
The officer and Aguirre suffered minor cuts. The officer has since returned to duty.
Aguirre was taken to North Fulton Regional Hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the Fulton County jail.
He is also charged with possession of a controlled substance, obscured or missing license plate, willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by use of threats or violence, possession and use of drug-related objects, driving while license suspended, and purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana.
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About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
