A New Orleans police officer was dragged through a parking lot by a drug addict in an SUV seconds after she saved his life.
Raychel Willey, 34, had to be hospitalized following the violent altercation on Friday morning.
The officer was flagged down to deal with reports of a man suffering an overdose at a Walmart parking lot at 10.37am.
She administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, and the man regained consciousness within moments.
But instead of showing gratitude, the suspect panicked and tried to flee dragging Willey with him, according to the cops.
He then plowed into another woman in the parking lot before Willey managed to shoot him, the New Orleans Police Department said.
The driver was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Mom-of-two Willey sustained multiple injuries, but is currently listed in stable condition, according to the police.
New Orleans police officer Raychel Willey was dragged through a parking lot by a drug addict in an SUV seconds after she saved his life
Officer Raychel Willey, 34, administered Narcan to a man suffering an overdose on Friday morning
Instead of expressing gratitude, the suspect panicked and took off, dragging Willey several feet across the parking lot. Pictured: A damaged vehicle following the alarming incident
The other female victim was taken for treatment of minor injuries.
“Our officer was attempting to assist and save someone, but the situation changed unexpectedly,” stated NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
Witnesses say the man abruptly started the vehicle and accelerated as Willey was attempting to remove him from the SUV.
Still attached to the vehicle, Willey was dragged several feet through the parking lot.
“While providing aid and administering Narcan, the person allegedly sped away from the scene with the officer still physically connected to the vehicle,” the NOPD reported.
During the struggle, Willey is believed to have discharged her service weapon, striking the suspect in the chest.
‘The injured officer, still caught up in the chaos, managed to draw her service weapon and fired several shots into the vehicle,’ police added.
‘While he fled, the suspect struck another parked car and rammed into an uninvolved bystander, further escalating the danger.
Willey, a mom and Navy veteran, sustained multiple injuries and had to be taken to the hospital. Pictured: Officer Willey at a Mardi Gras celebration in 2020
Officer Willey is believed to have opened fire and shot the suspect in the chest. He later died in the hospital. Pictured: NOPD officer at the scene
‘This person, body, went against my truck and I lost sight of her as the car kept moving down the street. I was able to make sure that I was at a standstill, and that was a good thing,’ one shopper (pictured) who was at the scene told WDSU
NOPD emergency medical responders were on the scene and immediately rendered aid to the suspect, who was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been released.
The incident is under investigation by the NOPD Public Integrity Bureau’s Force Investigation Team.
Willey is a Navy veteran who has been an officer with the department since 2016.
She has been placed on administrative reassignment pending the outcome of the investigation per standard protocol.
Residents of the Lower Garden District, some of whom witnessed the aftermath, expressed a mix of horror and sorrow.
‘This person, body, went against my truck and I lost sight of her as the car kept moving down the street. I was able to make sure that I was at a standstill, and that was a good thing,’ one shopper who was at the scene told WDSU.
‘I wasn’t moving. My concern was not about myself but was she okay? And I am just so thankful that she was okay,’ the bystander said.
The NOPD says Officer Willey is expected to recover.
