A New Orleans police officer was seriously injured Thursday morning after being dragged by a vehicle while responding to a possible overdose, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 10:37 a.m. in the parking lot of a Walmart on Tchoupitoulas Street, where an officer working a paid detail was flagged down about a man experiencing a possible overdose inside a vehicle, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
While the officer was administering Narcan and rendering aid, the individual allegedly drove away with the officer still physically attached to the vehicle, police said.
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During the struggle, the officer discharged her service weapon, striking the suspect, before becoming dislodged from the moving vehicle and landing beneath another vehicle, according to police.
The suspect continued driving on Rousseau Street before colliding with another vehicle a short distance away. The suspect was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, authorities said.
A female bystander was also struck by the suspect’s vehicle as he fled the Walmart parking lot. She was transported to the hospital in stable condition, according to police.
The officer, who sustained multiple injuries, is currently being treated at a local hospital and is listed in stable condition.
The incident is under investigation by the NOPD Public Integrity Bureau’s Force Investigation Team, and the officer has been placed on administrative reassignment, which is standard protocol, police said.
New Orleans police officer dragged by car after responding to overdose call: Authorities originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
