Lexington officer in critical condition after being dragged into light pole
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- Lexington Officer Kevin Van Wert remained in critical condition Wednesday at a hospital.
- Naqeeb Mufallah, 31, fled but was arrested a short time later and charged with multiple felonies.
- The police department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the incident, with assistance from other agencies.
The Lexington police officer dragged by a car and injured while conducting a traffic stop Tuesday night was in critical condition at a hospital Wednesday morning, said police Chief Lawrence Weathers.
The traffic stop happened around 10:45 p.m. at the Meijer Gas Station on Ruccio Way. Weathers said officer Kevin Van Wert pulled over a vehicle for moving violations, but the driver accelerated as Van Wert approached the car.
Van Wert was dragged into a light pole and thrown to the ground, Weathers said. Police had previously described his injuries as non-life-threatening.
The driver, later identified as Naqeeb Mufallah, 31, fled the scene but was arrested a short time later. According to court documents, police said they pulled him over because his rear license plate was not illuminated.
Mufallah is charged with first-degree assault of a police officer, first-degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest, possession of handgun by convicted felon, leaving the scene of an accident or failure to render aid with death or serious physical injury and unrelated warrants.
“Days like these are challenging, and I can tell you after getting the call last night that one of our officers was injured, is never something that anyone wants to hear,” Weathers said at a Wednesday news conference.
Van Wert has been employed with Lexington police since August 2024, Weathers said. He graduated from the training academy in March 2025.
Van Wert previously worked for the Portland Police Department in Maine. He is from Bourbon County and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in economics in 2021.
Other officers were with Van Wert during the traffic stop. Weathers identified them as K-CI Carmichael, Erica Sacharnoski and Dylan Sharp.
The officers’ body-worn cameras were activated, Weathers said.
“We train for situations like this, but even with that kind of training, you’re never truly prepared to see a friend injured in front of you,” Weathers said.
Several public safety officials attended Wednesday’s news conference, including Mayor Linda Gorton, Fire Chief Jason Wells, Fayette County Commonwealth Attorney Kimberly Baird and local firefighters and police officers. Weathers said behavioral health support and peer support staff are available to anyone who needs it.
“I want to thank out partners with the Lexington Fire Department, the Lexington division of E911, the University of Kentucky Police Department, the LFUCG public safety family and the staff of the University of Kentucky Medical Center for their assistance in everything they’ve did to help officer Van Wert,” Weathers said.
Gorton thanked officer Van Wert and the assisting officers for their service.
“Our police officers never know what will happen when they put on the uniform,” Gorton said at the news conference. “Most of us cannot imagine what it’s like to live with that certainty every day. It’s a sacrifice that our police make for each and every one of us, running toward the danger while we run away.”
Mufallah is being held at the Fayette County jail on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Fayette District Court Thursday afternoon.
He has a lengthy criminal history, including previous guilty pleas to charges of assault of a police officer and fleeing or evading police on foot.
The police department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the incident.
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 11:50 AM.
