A Turtle Creek man accused of dragging a Whitehall police officer more than 200 feet with his car was arrested Friday by Allegheny County police after being wanted for nearly a year.

Alphonso Francis, 28, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and a firearms violation, and has been wanted since May 2022 after he was accused of driving away from a Clairton Boulevard traffic stop and dragging an officer.

Police said Francis, a passenger at the initiation of the traffic stop, climbed into the driver’s seat and fled the scene.

County detectives determined Friday that Francis was at a Fairview Avenue residence in Turtle Creek. When detectives approached, they found Francis in a crawl space and took him into custody without incident.

Sheriff Kevin Kraus commended his detectives.

“They were engaged in a potentially dangerous situation with an individual who has a history of threatening behavior toward law enforcement and were able to make the arrest without incident.”

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