Just before 1 a.m. Monday, Clark County deputies initiated a police chase after a suspect grabbed the arm of one of the deputies and rammed a patrol car.
A Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputy checked on a disabled vehicle at 12:59 a.m. Monday near the 8700 block of Northeast 117th Avenue, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
The deputy believed the suspect had been driving under the influence of drugs based on initial observations, the sheriff’s office said.
Then, during the investigation, the driver reached for something in the center console of the vehicle, deputies said.
“As a deputy attempted to detain the suspect, the suspect grabbed the deputy’s arm. As the driver began fleeing the scene, the deputy was able to free himself from the suspect’s grasp. The suspect then rammed a patrol car occupied by a second deputy and led deputies on a short pursuit northbound” on Northeast 117th Avenue, the sheriff’s office said.
Pursuing deputies were able to force the fleeing suspect’s vehicle to stop around the 9100 block of 117th Avenue.
Alexander J. Leach, 23, of Lexington, S.C., was arrested on suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault and attempt to elude. Leach could also face a charge of driving under the influence based on pending blood-test results.
Neither the deputies nor the suspect was injured during the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
