ALBANY — The driver of a go kart, who was the subject of a video circulated online, was arrested and is now in Livingston Parish to begin facing charges.
The incident happened on Sunday, April 26 around 9:30 a.m. when a man driving a go kart came through Hwy. 43 and 190, Albany Police Chief Boyd Wild told UWK. The vehicle was driving both on the road and on the shoulder delaying traffic before an Albany Police officer in a marked unit attempted to pull him over.
According to Chief Wild, the traffic around the go kart kept having to brake due to “reckless operation,” which is why the officer tried to stop him.
The man in the go kart, identified as Kyle Ragan, 37, was able to go roughly 2.5 miles from Albany into the Baptist area in Tangipahoa Parish, the chief added.
Once the officer had pulled Ragan over, he is accused of kicking and hitting the officer, which is when the officer used pepper spray on him multiple times. That’s when Ragan allegedly grabbed a wrench and started hitting the officer, Chief Wild said.
In the video, after Ragan was on the ground, multiple civilians helped the arresting officer handcuff Ragan and put him inside the officer’s police car.
Ragan was arrested and booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail since the scene ended near Baptist. He was transported to the Livingston Parish Jail on Tuesday, April 28th, where he’s expected to face charges of aggravated battery, reckless operation, aggravated flight from an officer and resisting an officer with force or violence.
The Albany Police officer involved in the incident had minor injuries including cuts near his eyes.
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