Mount Sinai Hospital psychologist dragged traffic cop across town in minivan

February 20, 2012

Maybe this shrink should have his head examined.

A Manhattan psychologist pulled over for a traffic violation on the Upper East Side flipped his lid — and ended up dragging the cop with his minivan, authorities said.

The bizarre bout of road rage began when William Bannon Jr., 42, a part-time research psychologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, was stopped after he had driven his gray 2007 Nissan Quest down the wrong lane on East 62nd Street near First Avenue shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday, cops said.

The officer asked for Bannon’s paperwork, but the Upper West Side resident instead tried to give him the Freudian slip — by steering onto the sidewalk and speeding toward York Avenue, the cops said.

But when the officer caught up on York and reached in to pull the keys from the ignition, Bannon hit the gas, taking the cop — who was leaning in through the car window — with him, police said.

The officer was dragged from the west side of York to the avenue’s east side, where he hit the pavement, gashing a knee and a hand, authorities said.

Responding cops found the officer, who is with the 19th Precinct, struggling with Bannon, who tried to wriggle his way out of being handcuffed.

He was charged with first-degree assault on a police officer, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless endangerment.

The Columbia Ph.D., who has studied kids’ post-9/11 behavior, was released Friday on $5,000 bail.

Source: Rebecca Harshbarger, "‘Head case’ arrest," New York Post, February 19, 2012.