An Elizabethtown police officer is in stable condition after fracturing his skull while trying to stop a fleeing suspect on Saturday, according to a department spokesman.
The spokesman said 54 yea-old Officer Ron Caffee was dragged for several feet, hitting his head on the pavement, as the suspect fled on an ATV. Caffee suffered two brain bleeds, and the next week is expected to be a critical period in his recovery.
Caffee has been with the department for about three years.
According to a press release, Elizabethtown police responded to the area of Freeman Lake Park around 7:37 p.m. Saturday in reference to two dirt bikes and an ATV in the area. At 7:49 p.m. officers stopped those vehicles at 1704 North Dixie Avenue at the Towne Mall. As officers retrieved the personal information from the operators of those vehicles, 34-year-old Alex Dowell of Elizabethtown, who had outstanding warrants, attempted to flee the scene.
Caffee then grabbed Dowell in an attempt to stop him. The officer was dragged several feet before he lost his grip on Dowell. Caffee fell to the pavement, hitting his head. He was transported by Hardin County Ambulance Service to Kentucky State Police Post 4, where he was airlifted to University Hospital.
Dowell continued to flee the scene after the officer fell. He was later taken into custody without incident.
The incident remains under investigation.
Source: WAVE
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