Santa Cruz man arrested for assaulting police

A transient with a history of assaulting police officers is behind bars after struggling with police and driving his car into a police vehicle.

It happened early Tuesday morning on Branciforte Avenue when Santa Cruz police found 28-year-old Cody Franklin hiding in the backseat of a parked car.

Police say Franklin’s girlfriend, April Wilson, refused to get out of the car’s front seat and had to be forcibly removed. Once she was clear, Franklin jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off – in reverse – dragging an officer with him.

Franklin hit a second officer with the car before crashing into the police car.

After a short struggle, Franklin was tased and taken into custody.

Cody Franklin, 28, was arrested on previous warrants and faces new charges, including felony DUI, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, and others.

April Wilson, 37, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and being an accessory to a crime.