Officer dragged under dirt bike: suspect indicted

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CLEVELAND (WJW) — An Ashtabula man accused of dragging a Cleveland police officer under his dirt bike is now under indictment.

A Cuyahoga County grand jury handed up a four-count indictment charging Andrew T. Fusco, 29, of Ashtabula, with felonious assault, failure to comply with a police order and obstructing official business.

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Authorities allege Fusco was part of a large group of dirt bike riders who police officers spotted at the intersection of West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue on Monday, July 1, the FOX 8 I-Team reported. They fled when police tried to stop them, and tried to drive around them onto the Detroit-Superior Bridge, a police spokesperson said.

Unregistered dirt bikes are illegal on Ohio roads.

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Police initially said two of the riders collided. When police tried to help, one of the fallen riders fled and hit a patrol car. The officer was injured while trying to stop that rider, police said.

“This is just one example out of many where dirt bikers do not listen to police and attempt to take over our streets,” Prosecutor Michael O’Malley is quoted in a news release. “This lawless behavior is incredibly dangerous not only to police officers but also to our community.”

Court records show Fusco’s bond was set at $40,000. He’s due back in court for arraignment on Thursday, July 11.

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