Hanover man, 34, crashes car twice, attempts to disarm officer in Hanover: police

A Hanover man is facing multiple felony charges after police allege he caused two crashes and grabbed an officer's gun during a struggle, according to court documents.

Michael Hoopes, 34, of Hanover, was arrested and charged with felony counts of aggravated assault and disarming a law enforcement officer, along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault, damage to an attended vehicle, DUI, resisting arrest, and a summary count of reckless driving, court records show.

The charges stemmed from multiple crashes that occurred around Hanover on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, according to police.

The first incident occurred around 6:24 p.m. on the first block of Moulstown Road in Hanover, where police said Hoopes struck a Volkswagen Jetta operated by a Littlestown man and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. No injuries were reported in that crash, and towing was not required, police said.

Just five minutes later, at 6:29 p.m., just down the road, Hoopes lost control and struck a pole on East Middle Street at Factory Street in Hanover, police said.

When an officer confronted Hoopes, he told them he was attempting to "get away" from the first crash, and admitted to drinking and driving, the affidavit states.

Upon arrival of a second officer, Hoopes became irate when the first officer relayed that Hoopes had been drinking and driving, according to the affidavit.

After becoming upset, Hoopes exited his vehicle and grabbed onto the first officer's gun in his holster, making "comments about shooting the officer with the weapon," the affidavit states. The two officers together used "substantial force" to overcome Hoopes, including tasing him to get him away from the weapon.

After the scuffle, Hoopes was taken into custody and transported to Hanover Hospital, where blood was drawn as evidence, the affidavit states.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Hoopes was not yet arraigned, having been admitted to Hanover Hospital after the crashes.

Harrison Jones is the Hanover reporter for the Evening Sun. Reach him at hjones@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Hanover man, 34, crashes car twice, attempts to disarm officer in Hanover: police