Police: Suspect Nearly Struck Officer During Pursuit

(WHBC) – A man’s behind bars after allegedly leading police on a chase and nearly running over a police officer.

A Canton police officer tried to pull over 57-year-old Anthony Maurice Bankston (below) on Harrisburg Road NE because he had active warrants.

Police say Bankston sped off, running stop signs and stop lights.

An officer was able to get ahead of Bankston on U.S. 62 and placed some stop sticks on the roadway.

Police say the officer was nearly struck by the man’s vehicle, but the officer’s efforts were successful, because the suspect’s tires were punctured and started slowly losing air.

“Our officers put themselves in dangerous positions on a daily basis,” said Lt. Dennis Garren.

“And this was just something he knew he needed to do to get that vehicle stopped before he could hurt anyone else.”

After driving over the stop sticks police say Bankston went westbound in the eastbound lanes of 62 and hit some of the orange barrels in the construction zone.

Bankston kept going and police say he finally stopped his vehicle in the 2700 block of Cleveland Avenue NW at around 12:10 a.m. Thursday.

He exited his vehicle, got down on the ground and surrendered.

Bankston was booked at the Stark County Jail on warrants for felonious assault, domestic violence and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

He will also face charges of reckless operation and other charges associated with the chase.