Police: Long Beach man dragged cops several feet at traffic stop

Officers on routine patrol arrested a Long Beach man early Wednesday evening after police said they observed him involved in “what appeared to be a drug transaction” near Austin Boulevard in Island Park — and performed a traffic stop.

During that stop, Nassau County police said, the driver, identified as Darius Nellums, 49, attempted to flee, briefly dragging the officers several feet before crashing his 2004 Chevrolet van into three other vehicles.

The arrest followed the traffic stop by two officers at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Vanderbilt Avenue at 7:25 p.m.

After the stop, one of the two officers reached into the van to keep Nellums from driving off — while the second officer opened the passenger door, police said. But Nellums managed to place the vehicle in drive, dragging the officers forward for about five feet before striking the other vehicles and then attempting to flee on foot, police said. Police said Nellums was arrested at the scene after “a struggle” with the officers.

Officers recovered a bag from the center console of the van that contained 20 individually wrapped bags of a “substance believed to be heroin,” police said.

Nellums was charged with third-degree and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a Weapon, unlawful imprisonment, three counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, obstruction of government administration, and was issued several traffic tickets.

He is scheduled for arraignment Thursday in First District Court in Hempstead.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”