Police body camera footage shows the moment a Florida officer is dragged for more than half a mile after trying to stop a driver he suspected was under the influence of drugs.
Officer Jon Cusack responded to a retirement community in Pembroke Pines on Tuesday when residents reported that a couple were unconscious in their car on the property.
The video shows Cusack approach the black Honda to find a man and woman lying unconscious and unresponsive.
Police said that there was a baggie of what appeared to be drugs visible in the car, though it’s not visible in the video.
The video shows Officer Jon Cusack approach the black Honda to find a man (identified as Thomas Cabrera, right) and woman lying unconscious and unresponsive
Cusack can then be seen trying to wake the couple up.
As he’s knocking on the window, the male, Thomas Cabrera, quickly puts the car in drive. The female passenger wasn’t identified.
Cusack then reaches into the car to attempt to stop Cabrera from getting away – but the man speeds off anyway, pulling the officer along with them.
The car then takes off and Cusack holds onto the car’s door frame and is dragged alongside it.
At this point the footage switches between views of the road, views of the back of Cabrera, and views of the sky as Cusack tries desperately to hold on.
The car’s speedometer flashes into view for a moment in the footage – and shows the car reaching more than 60mph.
As he’s knocking on the window, the male, Thomas Cabrera, quickly puts the car in drive
Cusack then reaches into the car to attempt to stop Cabrera from getting away – but the man speeds off anyway, pulling the officer along with them
The car then takes off and Cusack holds onto the car’s door frame and is dragged alongside it
At this point the footage switches between views of the road, views of the back of Cabrera, and views of the sky as Cusack tries desperately to hold on
A few seconds later Cusack is forced to let go of the door frame and falls to the ground.
His shoes and uniform were ‘shredded from being dragged along the roadway,’ according to a police report obtained by NBC New York.
A few seconds later Cusack is forced to let go of the door frame and falls to the ground. His shoes and uniform were ‘shredded from being dragged along the roadway,’ according to a police report. He suffered serious injuries, but nothing life-threatening
Once Cusack let go Cabrera sped away – leading police on a chase through Broward county and reaching speeds of more than 100mph.
Commuter traffic on I-595 eventually forced Cabrera to slow down, at which point he was boxed in by several police cars, according to NBC.
Police approached the car with their guns drawn and arrested Cabrera and the female passenger.
Cabrera told police that he and his fiancee were doing cocaine and heroin before Cusack found them unconscious in their car, according to the police report.
He has been charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. It’s not clear if the woman faces any charges, or if either of them will face drug-related charges.
The 19-year police veteran’s injuries caused by being dragged more than half a mile down the roadway were serious but not critical.
He was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and will undergo surgery for ‘significant road rash injury to his arms and legs,’ police told NBC.