Fleeing Glastonbury Shoplifter Corralled After Wild Scene in Wethersfield

WETHERSFIELD, CT — A suspected shoplifter was taken into custody on Wednesday after a wild scene in Wethersfield.

Police said that, at 1:48 p.m. an officer from Wethersfield briefly pursued a vehicle south on Maple Street from the Silas Deane Highway corridor. The white Chevrolet S10 pickup truck matched the description of a vehicle wanted by the Glastonbury PD for a shoplifting that just occurred in their town.

A Wethersfield officer pursued the truck until the area of Maple Sand Mill streets, but he had to abandon the pursuit and shut off his lights and siren, police said.

The truck continued on Mill Street eastbound from Maple Street and crashed into two vehicles at the intersection of Mill Street and Silas Deane Highway, police said. The driver, Ryan Burton, 32, of Wethersfield, tried to go through a red light, police said.

Burton ran away into a wooded area behind a business on the east side of Silas Deane, police said. After a few minutes, Burton was located a wooded area behind the former Fun Zone. He was taken into custody without further incident, police said.

Burton was charged with:

• Interfering with an officer
• Disobeying the signal of an officer
• Evading responsibility
• Reckless driving
• No Insurance on a vehicle
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

Charges in Glastonbury have not been announced.

It was the second wild incident involving a suspected shoplifter in Wethersfield since Friday. That day, while trying to get home to have lunch with his wife, Police Chief James Cetran saw the suspect, stopped him and after seemingly being hit in the face while trying to question the suspect, wrestled him to the ground.

It was all captured in the dash came in Cetran's unmarked cruiser. See the video here.

Photo Credit: WPD