BELGRADE—A Belgrade woman allegedly living on the lam the past three years was arrested Tuesday after reportedly dragging a sheriff’s deputy across a yard with her car during a traffic stop on Manchester Road.
Angie May Soucy, 33, was being held at the Kennebec County jail on a litany of charges connected to traffic stop and 10 warrants from courts in four Maine counties.
Kennebec County Sheriff Deputy Nathan McNally was reportedly dragged by Soucy’s car when his watch became entangled on the car door as he attempted to prevent Soucy from leaving the traffic stop.
“By his actions and mere luck that the watch broke, Dep. McNally avoided serious bodily injury or even death,” said Kennebec County Sheriff Randall Liberty.
McNally suffered what Liberty described as minor abrasions to his arm.
Capt. Daniel Davies of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office said McNally stopped Soucy’s 1996 Nissan Maxima around 2:20 p.m., on suspicion of illegal attachment of plates. Soucy pulled her car into a randomly selected driveway at 622 Manchester Road and stopped.
Soucy told McNally she was not carrying identification, but provided the deputy with what she claimed was her name, birth date and social security number, Davies said. The information provided was that of a completely different person, Davies said.
“There was an associated photograph of that person, clearly showing Soucy was not who she claimed to be,” he said.
McNally went back to Soucy’s car and told her he knew she had provided false information.
“Everything escalated at that point,” Davies said.
Soucy locked the car door and tried to roll up the driver’s window, but McNally put his hand on the window to prevent it from closing. McNally told Soucy she was under arrest and ordered her to get out of the car, but she refused, Davies said. Soucy also refused McNally’s order to shut the car off.
“Dep. McNally reached in the window with his free hand to unlock the door, and without warning Soucy placed the vehicle in gear and sped off,” Davies said.
McNally’s wrist watch snagged on the inside of the door, which prevented him from breaking free as Soucy sped away, Davies said. She tried to flee across the lawn and back onto Manchester Road, but the sedan got stuck in a drainage ditch at the edge of the road.
“He was dragged approximately 35 feet before his watch broke and he fell from the car,” Davies said.
McNally got back on his feet and radioed for help as he ordered Soucy from the car at gunpoint, Davies said. Moments later Soucy was under arrest.
Soucy was charged with seven offenses in connection with the traffic stop, including reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon; criminal mischief; violation of conditions of release; refusal to submit to arrest or detention; failure to provide correct name and date of birth; illegal attachments of plates and violating probation.
Bail on the new charges was set at $10,000.
Liberty said McNally feared for his life as he was dragged across the yard Tuesday. McNally could have used deadly force to stop Soucy, Liberty said.
“Had the vehicle not become stuck, the results could have been much worse,” Liberty said. “This could have resulted in a high-speed pursuit or other life-threatening situations placing the public at risk.”
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