Hutchinson man arrested after assaulting Menard’s employee, dragging officer with car

A Hutchinson man was arrested Wednesday after assaulting a Menards employee and later dragging a police officer with his car and hitting him with a hammer.

According to the Hutchinson Police Department, police responded to a report of a man assaulting a Menards employee with some lumber just before 2 p.m. on the 1500 block of Montreal Street Southeast. The altercation reportedly began with a dispute over wearing a mask.

The 61-year-old man left the store but was spotted by an officer shortly after in the Walmart parking lot just down the road. The officer tried to stop the vehicle but was led on a low-speed pursuit that ended when the man stopped about a block away, near Highway 15 and Freemont.

Police say the officer tried to engage the man through the driver-side window, he got stuck, and the driver took off with the officer hanging onto the vehicle. The suspect hit the officer in the head with a hammer during the struggle.

The officer was taken to the hospital for his injuries and is stable.

The suspect was arrested at the scene.

The McLeod County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.