Suspect charged with dragging Philadelphia police officer in Overbrook identified

OVERBROOK (WPVI) -- Police have identified the suspect charged with dragging a Philadelphia officer during a traffic stop before fleeing the scene.

52-year-old Kevin Cooke of Cheltenham, Pa. is charged with Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, Driving without a License and related offenses.

Police say around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a 19th district officer stopped a vehicle at 61st Street and Lancaster Avenue for suspected DUI.

The officer spotted a silver Infinity without headlights on and pulled the driver over, police say.

A Philadelphia police officer was dragged by a car in the Overbrook section of the city.

The officer said there was a strong smell of alcohol coming from inside the car.

According to authorities, the officer told the driver to turn the car off, but the suspect instead put the vehicle into gear and accelerated.

The officer was knocked to the ground.

He then grabbed onto the side of the vehicle and was dragged a short distance before the car got away.

The silver vehicle was spotted on City Avenue headed toward the Schuylkill Expressway.

Police then say the driver, identified as Cooke, crashed into another car on the exit ramp from City Avenue onto Lincoln Drive.

At that point, the man jumped out and fled on foot.

He was found a short time later in a schoolyard near Kelly Drive and Ridge Avenue and arrested.

There were initial reports of a woman inside Cooke's vehicle, but police say the male driver was alone.