TAUNTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A 35-year-old man accused of attacking multiple police officers with a knife in Taunton was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation during a court appearance on Wednesday.
Douglas Hagerty could be seen wearing a hospital gown as he stood before a judge at Taunton District Court. The suspect had been hospitalized the night before after a series of events that police say started when Hagerty approached officers during a traffic stop.
The Taunton Police Department said the stop on County Street had involved another driver who was cooperating when Hagerty appeared and began shouting at authorities.
According to Taunton PD, he then returned to his own vehicle and drove away.
While police did not pursue Hagerty at the time, they stopped his vehicle soon afterwards after he was seen allegedly driving in an “unsafe and reckless manner,” according to the department.
During the stop, Hagerty allegedly sped off, nearly striking an officer before leading police on a chase. At one point, the suspect allegedly drove directly at a police cruiser, while striking another in the area of Cherry Street, authorities said.
The pursuit eventually led police to West Britannia Street, where Hagerty crashed his vehicle into a multi-family home owned by a relative, which he then ran into.
Police said that once officers followed the 35 year old inside, Hagerty pulled out a steak knife and, “waving it at the officers,” left two policemen with slash wounds.
“One officer sustained serious slash wounds, including injuries to the neck, face and back,” a news release from the department stated. “He was taken by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital for treatment. A second officer was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment for knife wounds to his arm.”
Taunton’s own police chief, Edward Walsh, received a puncture wound to the torso during the incident.
Walsh, who lived near the scene, was part of the police response and was able to use a Taser to stun the suspect, who was then taken into custody and hospitalized for his own injuries.
“He came at me, lunged at me, and at that point, I felt an impact on my body,” Walsh said. “I deployed the Taser, somehow. I mean, it was so fast, I can’t recount exactly what happened. I had Tased him, put him on the ground, and then we eventually cuffed him.”
The police chief also received treatment at a hospital and was present at the courthouse the following day, describing to reporters how quickly Tuesday night’s events took place.
“Watching what happened – it was a split-second,” Walsh said. “Literally, the officer walked in when the person started stabbing him with a knife – it was instantaneous.”
According to the police department, Hagerty was arrested within 15 minutes of his first encounter with police.
Walsh called the situation unfortunate, but said things could have been worse.
“Unexpected – you can never tell what’s going to happen, it’s an unfortunate situation,” he said. “It’s not the best result we could hope for, but it’s better than other results that could have happened.”
During his court appearance on Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty, a judge ordered Hagerty undergo a mental health evaluation. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said he is currently facing a number of charges that include:
- Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon (3x counts)
- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (2x counts)
- Malicious Damage to a Motor Vehicle (2x counts)
- 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
- Failure to Stop for Police
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