Mastic man hit police vehicles, faces drug charges, cops say

A Mastic man who intentionally struck three police vehicles with his vehicle, injuring a detective, has been charged with drug possession and other offenses, Suffolk County police said Wednesday.

The detective, who was outside of his vehicle at the time he was struck, was taken to a hospital where he was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

Police said the incident happened Tuesday about 2:30 p.m. when Paul Sommer, 22, was approached by Fourth Precinct detectives and police officers who believed he was engaged in a drug transaction.

Sommer was sitting in his 2006 Infiniti, which was parked on Middle Country Road in Centereach, police said, and when detectives identified themselves, he attempted to flee, ramming a police vehicle and striking and injuring the detectives.

After driving out of the parking lot, Sommer then “intentionally crashed” into two other police vehicles, police said, at the intersection of Hawkins Avenue and Nicolls Road, where he was taken into custody.

Sommer was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal sale of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, assault, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, two counts of reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.

Sommer was scheduled for arraignment Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip.