<bt>Fairfax County Police are searching for a man who they say was involved in assaulting a police officer and several other offenses.
On Saturday, May 21, at about 12:50 a.m., officers were patrolling the rear of the Merrifield Plaza on the 8100 block of Lee Highway. The officers saw an SUV pull in and park near the dumpsters behind the plaza.
The driver stayed in the vehicle and the officers approached to see what he was doing. After approaching, the officers identified themselves and began to speak to him. At that point, they saw an illegal substance, say police.
The driver, Stacy Darrell Smith, put the vehicle in reverse and tried to leave, police say. The officers attempted to stop him, but he put the vehicle into gear and began driving away, dragging one of the officers, say police.
The other officer shot at the car in an attempt to stop it. The officer being dragged was then able to free himself as the car drove off, say police. The vehicle was later found abandoned nearby. It did not appear to have been hit by the shots fired. “It wasn’t his car, but it belonged to someone known to him,” said Officer Richard Henry of the Fairfax County Police Department.
The officer who was dragged was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Henry described Smith as 31 years old, 5-feet-8 inches tall, 165 pounds. Clark further said that Smith used to frequent the Arlington area.
Four felony warrants were issued for Smith charging him with malicious bodily injury to a law enforcement officer, disregarding a law enforcement officer’s command to stop, hit and run, and possession of cocaine. A misdemeanor warrant was also issued for possession of marijuana.
Smith also has one felony and two misdemeanor warrants outstanding which are unrelated to this incident.
Anyone with information about Smith or his whereabouts should call crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477 (TIPS). A $1,000 cash reward will be paid for information leading to an arrest.. Callers may remain anonymous.