UPDATE: Charges filed against Gainesville man accused of dragging police officer during traffic stop

The Gainesville man accused of dragging a police officer with his vehicle during a chase on Saturday night is facing a long list of charges in the incident.

 

Gainesville Police Sgt. Kevin Holbrook identified the suspect as Fabian Mata Garcia, 24. Garcia was the front seat passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for making a u-turn on Queen City Parkway and Industrial Blvd. around 8 p.m. Saturday. When police had the driver step out of the car, Garcia locked the doors and moved into the driver's seat and then drove away. In the process, he pulled down one officer and drove toward another. Then, the officers gave chase in their patrol car.

 

"The slower-speed chase ended on Monroe Drive when [Garcia] lost control of the vehicle, went down an embankment and struck several boulders," Holbrook said. 

 

Holbrook said no one in the vehicle was injured; the officers also escaped injury in the initial confrontation.

 

Garcia at first gave officers a false name when they arrested him, according to Holbrook.

 

"Officers were able to utilize one of our hand-held fingerprint scanners in the field to determine exactly who he was," Holbrook said. "He does have a list of charges that includes reckless conduct - three counts, two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, three counts of kidnapping [for the occupants of the vehicle] and two counts of felony obstruction."

 

Holbrook said other charges are forthcoming against Garcia and against other occupants of the vehicle.

 

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.