Wilkinsburg man facing numerous charges after dragging police officer during traffic stop
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A man from Wilkinsburg is being held in the Allegheny County Jail and facing a long list of charges following an overnight incident in Penn Hills.
Police say that during the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 4, a Penn Hills Police officer on patrol in the area of Frankstown Avenue was alerted to a vehicle that had went off the road.
When the officer stopped to survey the damaged vehicle, he found a man unresponsive in the driver's seat. The man was later identified as 22-year-old Dajaun Austin of Wilkinsburg.
According to police, the officer shook Austin to wake him from being unresponsive and observed a pistol inside the vehicle as well as signs of Austin being intoxicated.
After Austin refused to get out of the vehicle, police say they grabbed him. A struggle followed, in which police say Austin attempted to reach towards the pistol in the vehicle.
Another officer joined the struggle to assist in removing Austin from the vehicle and were able to remove the pistol from the vehicle, which was later confirmed by police as being stolen.
During the struggle, police say Austin put the vehicle into reverse, hit an officer, and dragged him approximately 20 feet before crashing into a building.
Austin then allegedly fled the scene.
Officers followed Austin and found him sitting on a hillside next to the vehicle. When they approached him and told him to show his hands, he tried to take off running. Officers then used their taser on Austin and took him into custody after a struggle.
While searching Austin, officers found suspected drugs and then found a digital scale and sandwich bags in the vehicle.
Austin was taken to the Allegheny County Jail, where he is being held until a preliminary hearing will be held later this month.
The list of charges he faces includes aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, firearms charges, drug charges, DUI, and resisting arrest.
