Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Westport PD Cruisers Damaged in Pursuit Following Burglary Interruption; Suspects Escape

Westport police, assisted by five other state and local police departments, chased two burglary suspects to Port Chester, New York, where the suspects escaped Monday morning.

Update 4:00 p.m.

Police broadcasts during the pursuit indicated that an officer successfully threw stop-sticks in front of the suspects’ van at the Darien rest area on I-95, taking out their tires.

A Westport officer immediately behind them also had his tires flattened. The suspects initially stopped, but then continued and eventually ended up riding on the rims of the van for the remainder of the 22-mile police chase. Another Westport cruiser was rammed in Stamford, and that officer gave up the chase, the broadcasts indicated.

Find out what's happening in Westportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Original story:

Find out what's happening in Westportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

While on routine patrol early Monday morning, a Westport police officer observed two men in hooded sweatshirts bearing a pry bar walking in front of the stores at 877 Post Road East.

As Westport police officer Steve Pritchard turned into the parking lot at approximately 12:27 a.m., the men ran around the building where they entered a white Dodge mini-van with New York plates, according to Capt. Sam Arciola. It was later determined that the suspects had attempted to break into a business at that location, Arciola said.

The van took off, attempting to elude Officer Pritchard and Officer Smith as they made there way from the parking lot to I-95 southbound, Arciola said. The van refused to stop for police and continued southbound on I-95. During the pursuit the suspect vehicle intentionally struck Westport Police vehicles by turning into them, causing damage to two police cruisers, Arciola said.

The was assisted by Connecticut State Police and local police from Darien, Stamford, Greenwich and Port Chester, New York, where the Dodge van had crashed. The suspects remained at large Monday afternoon and the Westport Police Department is continuing its investigation into the incident. Police are looking at the link between these suspects and the two burglaries at of Westport in February.


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