Court document: Driver admits to having drugs in car before driving away, dragging deputy

March 23, 2017 8:39 PM

Site staff,

Posted: March 23, 2017 8:39 PM

Updated: December 26, 2019 1:57 AM

by Site staff

Court document: Driver admits to having drugs in car before driving away, dragging deputy — Matthew Ellcey

DODGE COUNTY, Wis. — A man accused of dragging a deputy alongside his car while driving away from a traffic stop admitted to having drugs in the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office said 22-year-old Matthew Ellcey was arrested Tuesday after he drove away from a traffic stop, dragging a deputy along with him.

Officials said that a sheriff’s lieutenant was treated for minor injuries and has been released from the hospital.

Deputies said Ellcey was seen driving 77 mph in a 55 mph zone at 11:40 p.m. Tuesday and was stopped on State Highway 49 near Shamrock Road in the town of Chester.

According to the complaint, a deputy saw a small plastic baggie in the vehicle and Ellcey said it was “probably coke,” but said it was his friend’s drugs.

During questioning, the deputy thought Ellcey was going to try to drive away, so he opened Ellcey’s door. According to the complaint, when the deputies announced they were going to search Ellcey’s vehicle, he put the car in gear and drove away, dragging the deputy alongside his vehicle.

The deputy said he was partially inside the car when Ellcey started to drive away. According to the complaint, the officer was dragged on the pavement until he was able to disengage himself from the vehicle. The officer said he was injured when he rolled onto the pavement and the car’s tire ran over his hand.

The second deputy pursued Ellcey, who eventually lost control of his vehicle and crashed near the intersection of East Main Street and South Watertown Street. He allegedly ran away from the scene, deputies said, but they found him at a residence in Waupun.

Ellcey was charged Thursday with obstructing an officer, causing a soft tissue injury to an officer and fleeing or eluding a traffic officer resulting in bodily harm. Ellcey’s cash bond was set at $10,000 during an initial appearance on Thursday. He is scheduled to be back in court March 30.