A man was arrested in Fort Myers on Wednesday morning after he allegedly dragged a police officer with his car while trying to escape apprehension.
An officer with the Fort Myers Police Department made contact at about 3:20 a.m. with Keith Vernelle White, 21, of LaBelle, who was in a white vehicle parked at Evans Avenue and Market Street. White told the officer his car was overheating and having problems starting.
When the officer looked up White's information, he found White had an active arrest warrant in Lee County for charges of driving with a suspended license, possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon and carrying a concealed weapon or firearm.
The officer asked White to step out of the vehicle, and White became nervous -- shifting in his seat and ignoring the officer's instructions. When the officer opened the driver's side door, White started the vehicle and put it in drive -- dragging the officer a short distance.
The officer then entered the moving vehicle and struggled with White to take control of the wheel. The officer was able to remove the keys from the ignition and stop the vehicle at St. Charles Street and Evans Avenue.
White was arrested and charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and cocaine possession -- in addition to his previous charges. He is being held in Lee County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 bail -- but additional bail for one charge has not yet been set, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office website. White has an arrest record in Lee County dating back to 2009, on charges that include larceny theft, vehicle theft and resisting an officer.
