Officer run over during suspect escape attempt in Hartford police cruiser, Officer leg is broken

August 11, 2004, 8:01 AM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A city police officer suffered a broken leg Tuesday after he tried to stop a suspect escape in Hartford police cruiser.

A handcuffed suspect, who stole a police cruiser Tuesday afternoon, dragged Officer Liam Pesce as the officer tried to stop him, police said.

The suspect was caught a short time later after crashing the car.

Pesce grabbed the suspect in an attempt to regain control of the cruiser when the suspect drove off, dragging Pesce with such force that it broke his leg, police said.

Police said the incident began when they were arresting the suspect, whose name was not released, after he allegedly hit a woman with a baseball bat in front of the juvenile justice center on Broad Street.

The suspect was placed into the back seat of a cruiser, when Pesce, who was assigned to transport him to police headquarters, turned away from the car to talk to the arresting officer.

Pesce and the suspect were treated Tuesday at Hartford Hospital.

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