Police Interrupt Gas Station Robbery In Progress, Chicago Man Charged

BRANFORD, CT — An observant Branford police officer on patrol Tuesday night saw a masked man robbing the clerk of a Main Street gas station using a sawzall blade, police reported Wednesday.

It was around 6 p.m. when the officer drove by Sapphire Fuel, at 30 Main St., and could see the robbery in progress. The man, later identified as Pherris Harrington, 26, of Chicago, tried to flee but was apprehended after struggling with officers in the parking lot. A get-away car at the scene fled the scene at a high rate of speed eastbound on Route 1, when the officer pulled up.

Harrington, police said, "remained highly uncooperative after arrest." It took police 12 hours to and it took officers approximately twelve hours to identify Harrington.

Harrington was charged with second-degree criminal attempt at robbery, interfering with an officer, criminal attempt at sixth-degree larceny and refusal to be fingerprinted.

Police said it was later discovered that Harrington is on parole in Illinois for armed robbery and was not allowed to leave the state. In Branford police custody, he was taken to New Haven Superior Court and held on $250,000 bail.

Police noted that, "fortunately, there were no injuries sustained to the store clerk, the public, the officers involved or the suspect as a result of these criminal actions."