El Cajon Officer In Critical Condition After Being Dragged By Suspect, Hit By Another Car

El Cajon, CA – An El Cajon police officer is in critical condition after he was dragged by a suspect’s vehicle on Monday morning.

The incident occurred at about 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 13 when El Cajon police officers responded to a call about a vehicle that was parked partially blocking East Washington Avenue, KNSD reported.

Investigators said the officers found a black Volkswagen SUV parked in the roadway with a driver and passenger sound asleep inside, KSWB reported.

The officers woke them both up and asked for identification, KNSD reported.

Investigators said they provided ID cards that didn’t belong to them and the officers began investigating, KSWB reported.

That’s when the driver started the car and put it into gear.

“One of the officers attempted to detain the driver and keep him from fleeing the scene. In doing so, the officer was trapped in the vehicle and dragged for a distance as the driver fled,” El Cajon Police Lieutenant Randy Soulard said.

Lt. Soulard said that the officer was hit by yet another vehicle as he was being dragged by the suspect’s SUV, KNSD reported.

When the other vehicle hit the officer, his body was launched from the SUV into the roadway, KSWB reported.

The suspect vehicle fled the scene but the driver of the car that hit the officer stopped.

The officer was transported to the hospital where authorities said he was in “critical condition,” KSWB reported.

Police found the black SUV abandoned nearby and learned it had been rented in San Diego, KNSD reported.

Officials have not released the identity of the wounded officer.

Police are investigating on Washington Ave in El Cajon. We know an officer who was on foot was hit by a vehicle this morning. Working to figure out the status of that officer and the status of the vehicle involved. pic.twitter.com/CoWzTIGgXZ

— Leah Pezzetti (@leahpezzetti) December 14, 2020

The driver and passenger remained at large on Monday afternoon.

Police described the driver as a Latino male in his 30s or 40s with a shaved head and no facial hair, KSWB reported.

His passenger was a Latina female in her teens or early 20s.

WATCH LIVE: Police officer injured in El Cajon https://t.co/9tk8I7Wi7J

— 10News (@10News) December 14, 2020

Police were searching for the suspect and asked that anyone with information call the El Cajon Police Department at 610-579-3311, or San Diego Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or online at the Crime Stoppers website, KSWB reported.