Police: City man shot after dragging officer from Jeep, faces charges
Police: City man shot after dragging officer from Jeep, faces charges
A 21-year-old York City man fleeing police dragged a city officer from a Jeep about 150 feet Friday night before the officer shot him in the leg, state police said.
Ernest Bryant Matthews of 228 E. Springettsbury Ave. was charged Saturday night with attempted homicide, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest and two counts of aggravated assault, according to court documents.
He remains in York County Prison on $250,000 bail.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. near the intersection of East Church and Edgar Streets in the city, police said.
State police said two city officers were patrolling the area in an undercover vehicle, when they noticed a 2008 Jeep stopped in the road with a person standing next to the driver's side.
The officers, believing a drug deal was taking place between the driver and the other person, approached the vehicle, police said.
Officer Brian Kirby detained the man suspected of purchasing drugs outside the Jeep, while Officer Michael Fissel attempted to stop the driver, according to court documents.
The driver, Matthews, struggled with Fissel and accelerated while he was still partially inside the Jeep, police said.
Fissel then fired about two shots in Matthews' direction, striking him "apparently once in the lower extremities," said a news release from state police.
According to court documents, Fissel was thrown from the moving vehicle and fell over the hood of a parked box truck, landing about 15 to 20 feet from the road. Matthews fled the scene, police said.
Fissel was treated at York Hospital for moderate injuries to his head and other parts of his body.
York City Police Chief Wes Kahley said Saturday morning that Fissel is in "good shape," and resting at home.
Other officers attempted to locate the white Jeep without success, but found a glass pipe suspected to be used for crack cocaine at the location where the suspected illegal drug activity had occurred, court documents said.
Matthews arrived at York Hospital shortly after the incident for treatment of a gunshot wound. City police took him into custody, and state troopers are guarding him there, police said.
As of Sunday afternoon, however, Matthews was no longer listed as a patient at York Hospital, said a nursing supervisor.
The Jeep later was recovered unattended on Newberry Street near Maple Street, police said.
The man police believed was purchasing crack cocaine from Matthews during the time of the incident, agreed to view a photo line up, which included Matthews, according to court documents.
Police said Matthews was then identified as the driver of the Jeep by the purchaser, whose name is being withheld for investigative purposes.
As is typical in a police-involved shooting, Fissel was placed on administrative leave until state police finish their investigation of the incident.
"We think from everything we've seen so far that our officer was justified in protecting himself," Kahley said.
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