Men Threaten Workers At Windsor Locks Fast-Food Restaurant, Then Flee

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — A pair of 20-year-old men were apprehended and a third remains on the lam following an incident Monday night involving a gun at a fast-food restaurant, deployment of stop sticks on a fleeing vehicle and a foot pursuit by local and state police.

Around 7 p.m., a 911 call was received from the Wendy's restaurant on Route 75, stating a man threatened to shoot employees after being dissatisfied with food ordered via the drive-through. He and two other men entered the restaurant under the guise of making a food complaint, and threatened to shoot the employees and stick a gun into the mouth of one of the employees, Lt. Paul Cherniakc said.

A gun was seen by employees inside the suspect vehicle, a BMW, when it was positioned underneath the drive-through window. The men left as police spotted and pursued them onto Route 20 East, where the BMW's tires were impacted by the stop-stick deployment of an officer. The vehicle did not stop and engaged officers in pursuit onto Interstate 91 south, Cherniack said.

The suspects' car attempted to ram a Windsor Locks police cruiser numerous times, but as it approached Exit 38A, the tires began to deflate and disintegrate. The suspects fled on foot into a wooded area between the highway and Lamberton Road in Windsor; meanwhile, the BMW rolled back into a cruiser, causing minor damage, Cherniack said.

The three men jumped a fence to escape as Windsor Locks and state police pursued them on foot. One suspect, Govonni Nelson, was captured first by an officer who found him concealed in the wooded area, Cherniack said.

The other two suspects, possibly armed, continued to evade police using the wooded area and dusk to dark conditions concealing their movement. A Windsor Locks canine unit was deployed, and police dog Rocko located and apprehended a second suspect, Raheem Kenneth Harris, Cherniack said.

Harris had a black small bag recovered by the police dog; when opened, the bag contained white powder which spewed into the air, contaminating both the officer and dog. The concern was the possibility of fentanyl being in the white powder mix of suspected illegal narcotics, which can be fatal. Both were treated and released, Cherniack said.

State police deployed a drone and helicopter, but were unable to locate the third suspect, according to Cherniack.

The BMW was taken into police custody and a search incident to arrest yielded about 90 grams of crack, a Glock 40 cal. pistol with extended magazine, and suspected narcotics packaged for sale, along with drug paraphernalia, Cherniack said.

Nelson, of Springfield Gardens, N.Y., was charged with first-degree threatening, possession of a controlled substance, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, illegal possession of a large capacity magazine, interfering with police, sale of narcotics and second-degree breach of peace.

Harris, of Hartford, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, illegal possession of a large capacity magazine, interfering with police, illegal sale of cannabis and second-degree breach of peace.

Bond for each man was set at $100,000, and they were arraigned Tuesday in Hartford Superior Court. According to judicial records, Nelson, who was already free on a $100,000 bond following his arrest in Hartford in May on weapons and narcotics charges, had his bond increased to $850,000. He is due back in court June 14.

Harris posted bond and was released. He is due back in court June 20, according to judicial records.

On Tuesday, Windsor Locks police conducted a daylight follow-up search of the area where the suspects were apprehended. A second handgun was located in the wooded area, and investigation remains underway to verify a link between the newly-discovered handgun and the suspects, Cherniack said.