Man faces slew of charges after officers hurt, slashed during arrest, DA says

By Veronica Haynes and Emily Maher

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    Massachusetts (WCVB) — A Taunton, Massachusetts, man was in court Wednesday to face a slew of charges after five police officers were injured as they tried to take him into custody after he led police on a chase, crashed into his home and fled inside the house while he was wielding a knife, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn’s office.

Douglas Hagerty, 35, of Taunton, faced three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of malicious damage to a motor vehicle, and one count each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon-causing serious bodily injury, armed assault with intent to murder, resisting arrest, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and failure to stop for police.

Hagerty was held without bail until a dangerousness hearing at his arraignment Wednesday in Taunton District Court and was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.

Investigators said while Taunton police officers had a vehicle pulled over on Country Street on Tuesday night, a gray Honda Accord stopped, the driver shouted at the officers and fled.

The Honda was later spotted driving in an unsafe and reckless manner, and an officer attempted to make a traffic stop, investigators said. The car fled and nearly struck an officer who tried to pull the car over, investigators said.

Officers pursued the car until it crashed into a multifamily home at 55 West Britannia St., where the driver, identified as Hagerty, lived.

As officers attempted to place him in custody, Hagerty pulled out a knife and began waving it at the officers, slashing two of them, investigators said. Taunton police Chief Edward Walsh, who lives nearby, responded to the scene and was hit in the torso by the knife, investigators said.

Walsh then used a Taser, and officers took Hagerty into custody at about 7 p.m.

One officer suffered serious slash wounds, including injuries to his face and the back of his head. He was flown to a Boston hospital with non-life-threatening, Walsh said.

A second officer was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of knife wounds.

Walsh and two other officers were treated at Morton Hospital and released.

Hagerty was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

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