A man arrested after ramming a police car during a traffic stop was sentenced Monday to serve more than a year in prison.
Alexander J. Leach, 24, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and attempting to elude police officers.
Leach is from Lexington, S.C., and had been living in the Vancouver area for about six months at the time of his Jan. 15 arrest, according to court records.
A probable cause affidavit included with court records says deputies checked on what appeared to be a disabled vehicle near Northeast 87th Street and Northeast 117th Avenue early that morning.
They contacted Leach, who was inside, and suspected he was intoxicated. While deputies waited for a drug-recognition evaluation expert to arrive, Leach became aggressive and noncompliant, according to court records.
One deputy, who was standing outside the car near the driver’s side window, ordered Leach to stop reaching for something in the vehicle’s center console. Leach then grabbed the deputy’s arm through the open window and drove off, pulling the deputy with the car for several feet. The deputy was able to stay upright and wrested his arm from Leach’s grasp, court records said.
Other deputies tried blocking Leach’s vehicle. He then rammed a patrol car, according to court records, then drove away.
Deputies forced him off the road around the 9100 block of Northeast 117th Avenue and arrested him. No one was hurt, according to court records.
Leach has accepted responsibility for what he did, his attorney, Roger Priest said, and he’s eager to commence substance abuse treatment as mandated by the plea agreement.
“I wish I would have made smart decisions that night,” Leach said in court.
Superior Court Judge Scott Collier agreed with the defense and prosecution’s recommendations, and sentenced Leach to 24 months in prison.
Leach will receive credit for 273 days already served.
