NEWINGTON — A 22-year-old Wethersfield man has been charged with assault after police say he struck an officer with his vehicle while attempting to flee a traffic stop at a fast-food restaurant.
Luis Antonio Lopez turned himself in to the Newington Police Department on Sept. 3 after an arrest warrant was issued in connection with the March 19 incident.
Police said officers had observed Lopez’s vehicle failing to stop for multiple traffic stop attempts over several days before the confrontation.
On the evening of March 19 at approximately 9:30 p.m., officers spotted the vehicle entering the drive-through of the Chick-fil-A at 3240 Berlin Turnpike.
When officers attempted to stop the vehicle in the drive-through, police said Lopez intentionally drove toward a Newington police officer and struck the officer with the vehicle before fleeing.
The officer sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Lopez was charged with assault of public safety personnel, first-degree reckless endangerment, evading responsibility in operation of a motor vehicle, reckless driving, disobeying signal of an officer and failure to display lights.
He was released on a court-set $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at New Britain Superior Court on Sept. 17, 2025.
