BOSTON, July 31, 2012—The wheelman in a burglary at a Seaport District carpet company left his alleged partner in the dust after ramming a police cruiser and dragging his alleged partner behind his pickup truck, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

CHARLES P. THOMPSON (D.O.B. 2/21/66) of Dorchester was arraigned in his hospital bed yesterday on charges of breaking and entering in the nighttime, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and malicious destruction of property for the Sunday night incident.

Assistant District Attorney Kate Clayman of Conley’s South Boston District Court staff recommended that he be held on $20,000 cash bail. Judge Michael Bolden set bail at $5,000.

Boston Municipal Protective Services officers in the area of Drydock Avenue observed what appeared to be a breaking and entering in progress at 1 Design Center Place at about 9:00 p.m., with two men removing rugs and carpets from a commercial building’s front window and loading them into the back of a pick-up truck.

In a marked cruiser, the officers responded to the area, at which point one man got into the driver’s seat and allegedly rammed the cruiser while the other – later identified as Thompson – jumped into the cargo bed. The driver allegedly rammed the cruiser again, backed into a wall, and accelerated away in the direction of Northern Ave.

Thompson, meanwhile, attempted to maintain his hold on the truck and was dragged through the parking lot before finally losing his grip. He suffered two broken knees and injuries to both wrists. Boston EMS transported him to Tufts Medical Center for his injuries.

The cruiser sustained major body damage to its driver’s side. The carpet business’ front window was also destroyed.

The driver, operating a vehicle described as a 2009 to 2010 silver-colored Dodge with fresh damage to its front grill, bumper, and driver’s side window, remains at large. Anyone with information on its whereabouts or the person driving it is asked to call Boston Police.

Thompson will return to court on Aug. 24.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.