An Auburn police officer suffered a serious injury Monday afternoon during a struggle with an intoxicated driver who was found stopped on railroad tracks near North and York streets.
According to police, Officer Andrew Henderson was on routine patrol when he spotted a vehicle off the roadway and positioned on the tracks. As the driver pulled away, Henderson conducted a traffic stop and identified the man behind the wheel as Chad McMillan.
While speaking with McMillan, Officer Henderson observed signs of extreme intoxication and asked him to exit the vehicle for field sobriety tests. During the testing, McMillan reportedly became argumentative and clenched his fist in a threatening manner. When officers attempted to take him into custody, McMillan resisted.
During the struggle, both officers and McMillan fell against a metal wire supporting a “No Trespassing” sign. The wire tore into Officer Henderson’s ear, partially detaching it from his head. He was taken to Upstate University Hospital, where he underwent surgery to reconstruct the ear.
McMillan was eventually subdued and taken to Auburn Police Department headquarters, where he refused to submit to a breath test. He was charged with felony assault on a police officer, and misdemeanor counts of obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated, and possession of an open container.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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