A Manhattan psychologist who was pulled over for a traffic violation earlier this week allegedly tried to hightail it—and instead ended up dragging a cop with his vehicle. According to the Post, Mount Sinai assistant clinical Professor William Bannon Jr. was stopped after he had driven his 2007 Nissan Quest down the wrong lane on East 62nd Street near First Avenue shortly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday. But the officer who pulled him over soon found out that stopping a shrink can be as much of a drag as going to one.
Instead of handing over his paperwork, Bannon allegedly zoomed onto the sidewalk along York Avenue. The cop ran after him and tried to take the keys out of the ignition, but Bannon then slammed on the gas, dragging the cop from the west side of York to the east side of the avenue. The officer was pulled against the pavement, gashing his knee and his hand. Bannon even allegedly tried to fight his way out of being handcuffed.
He has been charged with first-degree assault on a police officer, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless endangerment. According to his profile at Mount Sinai, "Dr. Bannon's research is largely focused upon developing and analyzing mental health and prevention intervention services for vulnerable populations residing in inner-city communities," and presumably the effects of repeated viewings of Bullitt on the egos of psychologists.
