Driver Pointed Fake Gun At Officers: Meriden Police

MERIDEN, CT — A man was arrested after police said he brandished a fake gun at several officers Thursday in Meriden.

Officers responded to the old Meriden Hospital at Cooke Avenue and Orange Street for an unrelated incident, according to police. While returning to their cruisers, police said they saw a motorist traveling south on Cook Avenue who made eye contact with the officers and smiled, while “waving what appeared to be a silver revolver near the center console.”

The driver, later identified as 37-year-old Mohammed Baakrime, was operating a 2009 Dodge Caliber, according to police.

“As Mohammed passed by, it also appeared that the barrel end of the silver revolver was aimed in the direction of the officers,” police wrote in a news release.

Police said the officers radioed for another officer to try and catch up to the Dodge to try and conduct a traffic stop.

“Mohammed then made an abrupt U-turn by Summer Street and began to travel north back towards their position,” police wrote. “As they did not know the intentions of Mohammed the officers took cover behind their police vehicles in case Mohammed planned to fire what was perceived to be a firearm. As the Dodge passed by their position Mohammed again brandished the silver revolver out the driver side window.”

The officers then called out to the man who stopped at the red light of Cooper Street to pull over, according to police.

Police said Baakrime then continued north up Cook Avenue toward West Main Street and an officer began to try to catch up to the Dodge to conduct a motor vehicle stop.

“As they approached the crest of the hill, Mohammed made a U-turn abruptly and began traveling south down Cook Avenue,” police wrote. “Mohammed then approached the intersection of Cook Avenue and Hanover Street, took a left turn through a red traffic control signal east on Hanover Street.”

At that time, police said an officer who was on a traffic control detail at Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home at 48 Cook Avenue advised that Baakrime also was brandishing a firearm out the window of the Dodge toward him.

The chase led into Perkins Square and up East Main Street. An officer deployed stop sticks across the road and the Dodge came to an abrupt stop, according to police.

Police said officers took Baakrime into custody and found a silver revolver that turned out to be a combination lighter/laser.

Baakrime was arrested on charges of engaging police in pursuit, failure to obey traffic signal, failure to drive in proper lane, brandishing a facsimile firearm, first-degree threatening, and second-degree breach of peace.

He was held in lieu of a $250,000 bond with a court date of June 15.