Grand Island man referred for charges after assault on an officer

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - Grand Island Police said one of their officers is fortunate he wasn’t run over after an incident Wednesday evening.

GIPD said an officer observed a vehicle around 8:30 p.m. that failed to signal the right turn before 100 feet, turning from Broadwell onto 4th Street. Police said the vehicle’s side windows were so tinted that you couldn’t see the occupant inside.

The officer conducted a traffic stop at 4th Street and Madison, where the driver, identified as 32-year-old Juan Lucas Mejia, refused to give any documentation for the vehicle or himself. The officer ordered him out of the car, but he refused.

Capt. Dean Elliott said as the officer removed the man’s seat belt in attempt to get him out of the car, he resisted and pulled away.

Police say Meija got the car into drive and took off with the officer slamming into the vehicle.

The officer wasn’t seriously injured.

Police later recovered the vehicle but the suspect had ran off.

During a record’s check, they learned that Meija’s driver license status came back as revoked.

He was referred for flight to avoid arrest, second-degree assault on officer, driving during revocation, resisting arrest, obstructing police officer, window tint violation and fail to signal 100 feet.

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