Angry driver arrested for assaulting officer with car

COLUMBIA - A Columbia police officer was assaulted by a motorist who police say didn’t want to wait for them to move their cars Saturday afternoon.

Richard J. Schulte, 21, of 407 Ann St., was charged with resisting arrest, second-degree assault of a police officer and armed criminal action.

Police were investigating a complaint about a loud outdoor party about 4:30 p.m. at a house near Anthony and William streets. While officers were investigating the complaint, a car drove up, and the driver began shouting at the officers and getting “very belligerent” because the officers’ patrol cars were blocking the street, Columbia police East District Commander Zim Schwartze said.

The officers tried to calm the driver and told him that it would not be long before they moved the cars, but they say he kept shouting.

“He refused to cooperate and everything went downhill from there,” Schwartze said.

As an officer tried to get the driver out of the car, the driver put the car in reverse, and the officer was caught between the door and the door frame. The officer was dragged about 5 to 10 feet before the driver stopped the car. The man then narrowly avoided running into a parked car as he tried to drive away again.

Officers called for backup and were able to subdue the driver with help from other responding officers.

Schulte was taken to the Boone County Jail where he was later released after posting a $19,500 bond.