Nassau County officer dragged during traffic stop in Roosevelt, police say

Nassau police have arrested a West Hempstead man who they said dragged an officer in his vehicle as he raced away from a traffic stop in Roosevelt early Friday.

Kenneth Grafton, 45, of Woodfield Road, has yet to be arraigned on charges of second-degree assault, third- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful fleeing of a police officer, second-degree reckless endangerment and numerous vehicle and traffic laws, First Squad detectives said.

Grafton was injured during the chase that followed the traffic stop, police said, and will be arraigned whenever he is medically fit.

Police said the incident took place when they stopped the blue Ford Explorer that Grafton was driving at 3 a.m. Friday on West Pennywood Avenue in Roosevelt.

Police said Grafton declined to show his hands when ordered to do so, and that officers noticed he appeared to be reaching for several glassine envelopes on the console.

“After being asked to exit his vehicle, Grafton put the car into drive and dragged an officer who reached into the car in an attempt to place the vehicle into park,” police said in a news release. The officer followed the suspect onto Uniondale Avenue near Park Avenue, where Grafton crashed into two parked vehicles and his vehicle overturned, police said.

Grafton was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, police said. The officer also sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Glassine envelopes containing heroin were recovered from Grafton’s vehicle, police said.