Police: Woman Fled in Car as Officer Tried to Arrest Her

A police officer sustained minor injuries while trying to serve several warrants on a Woodbridge woman, according to Prince William County Police. 

Julia Marie Essman, 28, of Cavalier Drive in Woodbridge, is charged with attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license.

Police said that at 2 p.m. Wednesday, the officer approached Essman's car, which was parked in a driveway on Traveller Street in the Manassas area. As the officer got closer, Essman put the car in reverse, nearly striking the officer, said Officer Jonathan Perok, a spokesman for the police department.

"At this point, the officer reached through the window and grabbed the accused. The accused then put the car in drive and accelerated, knocking the officer off balance," Perok said in a press release. "The officer let go of the accused as she fled the area."

Essman turned herself in to police later, without any further incident, Perok said. 

The information in this article was provided by the Prince William County Police Department. Where arrests are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.