Woman charged with striking officer with car during Chicago traffic stop

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A woman and her passenger are accused of hitting a police officer with a vehicle as they fled a traffic stop Tuesday in Greek Town on the Near West Side.

Lashanda Southall, 29, of Dekalb, is charged with a felony count of aggravated battery of an officer, a felony count of aggravated fleeing and several traffic citations, Chicago police said.

Her passenger, Arsenio Harden, faces a felony charge of escaping from a police officer by a felon, police said. Harden, 30, of Lawndale, was ordered held on a $150,000 bail.

During the attempt to flee, Southhall allegedly backed up the vehicle in the 200 block of South Halsted and hit the officer, a garbage can and a pole, police said.

She drove off but was later spotted and arrested in the 3800 block of West Madison Street in Garfield Park on the West Side, police said.

The officer who was struck was not injured and refused medical attention, police said.

Court information was not available for Southall.