Video: Bradenton officer dragged by suspect trying to take off during traffic stop

Officer dragged by car, man arrested

Genevieve Curtis reports.

BRADENTON, Fla. - A Bradenton officer was hospitalized Tuesday after a suspect took off during a traffic stop, dragging the officer, according to officials.

The Bradenton Police Department said Officer Shane Sharp was pinned between the driver and the dashboard as the car sped off and then crashed. This all began in the 1200 block of Martin Luther King Avenue East when the officer tried to pull the suspect over.

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Body camera: Bradenton officer dragged by suspect's car

Courtesy: Bradenton Police Department.

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The driver did not follow his orders, so the officer followed the suspect, who was identified as Lenny Macias-Rengel, 19. Officer Sharp could be seen on body camera footage asking the suspect to turn off the car 12 times, because he was worried that he might drive off.

"Turn the car off for me. I don’t know if you’re going to take off, it took you a while to stop. Turn the car off," Sharp can be heard saying to the driver on the bodycam footage.

When Macias-Rangel refused, the officer opened the driver's side door and reached to shift the car into "park." But, that's when the suspect accelerated, only traveling 150 feet before the car crashed into a nearby pole.

Booking photo of Lenny Macias-Rengel. Courtesy: Manatee County Jail

Several officers quickly responded to the scene, where Macias-Rangel resisted arrest. Officer Sharp, visibly injured, was seen crawling on his hands and knees, struggling to stand.

After resisting arrest and striking several officers, Macias-Rangel was evaluated for injuries before being taken to the Manatee County Jail. A kilogram of marijuana and 62 THC vape cartridges were found in his car.

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Sharp was rushed to the hospital after the incident in a patrol vehicle, according to BPD. After the crash, Sharp had a concussion, arm injuries that included a separated shoulder and minor leg injuries.

Pictured: Bradenton Police Officer Shane Sharp. Courtesy: Bradenton Police Department.

He has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, according to the police department.

Macias-Rangel is now facing multiple charges related to the incident, including:

Two counts of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer
Four counts of battery on a law enforcement officer
Resisting an officer with violence
Possession with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver a controlled substance
Driving while license suspended, revoked, canceled, or disqualified (second offense)