CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer was dragged by a vehicle a frightening distance during a traffic stop two weeks ago and recounted the ordeal with Channel 9.
Officer Brad Potter stopped the driver, Kendrick Parry, with warrants out for his arrest when police said Parry grabbed Potter's arm and dragged him 20 feet in University City.
(Officer Potter, Kendrick Parry)
Weeks before, Potter made headlines when a local teenager prayed with him, and the feel-good story reached 65,000 people on Facebook.
[PAST ARTICLE: CMPD officer stunned by teen's kind gesture]
“I'd say someone up there was looking out for me during this whole thing,” Potter said.
(VIDEO CLIP: Officer talks about praying with teen)
Potter suffered injuries while being dragged.
“Sprains, strains, and all sorts of road rash,” he said. “I would describe it as, on a traffic stop, one of a police officer's worst nightmares,” Potter said.
(VIDEO CLIP: Officer talks about being dragged as worst nightmare)
Potter said his uniform got caught in the door as Parry drove off, dragging him. He escaped with no broken bones and said he wiggled his way to safety.
“Thankfully, I got very lucky overall,” Potter said.
There may have been more than luck. In March, Potter and Charlotte teen Caleb Turner met randomly at a local gas station.
(VIDEO CLIP: Teen learns officer was dragged will be OK)
Turner approached Potter and offered to pray for his safety.
“That's all I really wanted to do,” Turner said. He had no idea the officer was recently hurt and was anxious about Potter’s injuries.
“Is he still in the hospital?” Turner asked.
Channel 9 told Turner that Potter was OK.
Potter recalled the day the two prayed together.
“I'd like to think that hopefully, it was some of his prayers that were looking out for me,” Potter said. “That kind of helped me make it through this whole thing.”
Potter said once the court process is over, he'd also like the chance to speak to Parry, and forgive him.