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Montco man charged with dragging cop in Overbrook

A Montgomery County man has been arrested for allegedly dragging a police officer with his vehicle during a routine traffic stop in Overbrook.

A Montgomery County man has been arrested for allegedly dragging a police officer with his vehicle during a routine traffic stop in Overbrook.

Kevin Cooke, 52, of the unit block of Boncouer Road in Cheltenham, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, driving without a license, drunk driving and fleeing an officer, Philadelphia police said Monday.

It was shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday when police spotted a 2008 silver Infiniti traveling west on the 5200 block of Lancaster Avenue in Overbrook without headlights. The car stopped about eight blocks later, on the 6000 block of Lancaster Avenue, police said.

After officers approached the Infiniti, the officer who went to the driver's side noticed the driver ducking out of sight to the passenger side, police said.

That officer then saw the driver sit back up. The man did not have anything in his hands. The officer asked the man for his license, and smelled a strong odor of alcohol, police said.

The officer also noticed that the man's eyes were glassy and bloodshot, police said.

The driver then reached for his gear shift, turned the steering wheel to the left and pushed his foot on the accelerator.

Police said the driver struck the officer and knocked him off balance as the officer grabbed inside the car so he wouldn't fall underneath and get run over.

The driver fled at a high speed on Lancaster Avenue, dragging the officer as the officer yelled for him to stop, police said.

The officer eventually let go of the car, fell to the ground and skidded about 20 feet on his right side, police said.

About 30 minutes later, officers spotted the Infiniti near City and Belmont Avenues. They tried to stop it in the Target parking lot at 4000 Monument Road, off of City Avenue, but the Infiniti got away.

A short time later, police said, officers received information that the Infiniti crashed in an accident near Ridge Avenue and Kelly Drive in East Falls.

There, the driver fled from the Infiniti and ran toward Ridge Avenue. Police found him near tennis courts and arrested him after a brief foot chase, police said.

Police said the officer who was dragged did not sustain injuries, but said his equipment, boots and firearm had visible damage from skidding on the road.

Cooke is being represented by the Defender Association of Philadelphia. He faces a Feb. 22 preliminary hearing in Municipal Court.

shawj@phillynews.com

215-854-2592

@julieshawphilly