A police officer was injured Monday when a Lino Lakes man took off in a vehicle that the officer was trying to pull him out from, authorities say.
The interaction started shortly after New Brighton officer Joseph Pyka saw Jeffrey Paulson, 26, riding with a female passenger on a motorcycle without a license plate in the parking lot of Midwest Tobacco, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday.
Pyka pulled him over to investigate and Paulson reportedly told him he was test-driving the bike.
Pyka asked to see his driver’s license, and Paulson walked to a Toyota Camry seemingly to retrieve his license, according to the charges.
After fumbling around in the vehicle, Paulson reportedly said he couldn’t find his ID and then refused to get out of the vehicle.
As Pyka reached in and grabbed hold of him to pull him out, Paulson drove forward, pulling the officer with him and striking and damaging Midwest Tobacco’s concrete pillar before taking off, according to the charges.
Other officers began pursuing the vehicle and watched as Paulson threw a plastic bag out the window, and later what looked to be white powder from another baggie, according to the charges.
Police managed to incapacitate the vehicle at 37th Avenue and Hayes Street, at which point Paulson took off on foot, according to the charges.
He was eventually taken into custody and transported to Regions Hospital after Paulson told arresting officers he’d ingested heroin, the complaint said.
Officers found a 9mm handgun in the grass by the vehicle, and later determined that both the vehicle and the motorcycle had been stolen.
The officer who tried to get Paulson out of the vehicle sustained a broken wrist.
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office charged Paulson Wednesday with first-degree criminal damage to property, fleeing a peace officer and third-degree assault.
He has a prior felony conviction for being an ineligible person in possession of a firearm as well as gross misdemeanor convictions for domestic assault.
Paulson made his first appearance in court Monday. No attorney was listed for him in court records.