Overview
- Police say that during a traffic stop Tuesday night Officer Ariel Cruz became entangled with a white SUV, was ejected and dragged about two blocks and sustained very serious injuries including broken ribs, a fractured spine, internal kidney bleeding and brain hemorrhaging.
- The white SUV was recovered in Plaistow, New Hampshire, and Hector Rivera, 34, was arrested there without incident the next day and is being held in New Hampshire pending extradition to Massachusetts.
- Rivera was remotely arraigned Thursday in Salem District Court, behaved combatively on the video feed and faces multiple felony charges in Massachusetts including assault with intent to murder, assault and battery on a police officer, aggravated assault and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
- Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler said Officer Cruz is out of the intensive care unit, in good spirits and expected to survive but will face a long recovery from severe head and spinal injuries.
- Officials from Lawrence PD, Plaistow PD, Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service worked together on the case and police have raised concerns about Rivera’s lengthy violent record and his recent release from prison.