Teen Charged with Striking Police Cruiser, Narrowly Hitting Officer

Windsor Locks Police have arrested a 17-year-old male from Hartford who is accused of being the driver of a vehicle that struck a police cruiser multiple times, and nearly struck an officer, while fleeing from a string of suspected car burglaries.

The juvenile, whose name wasn’t released due to his age, was arrested following an investigation in which police learned the vehicles were part of a crime spree involving robbery, thefts, stolen cars, occurring from the most northern location of Windsor Locks to their most southern point of Old Saybrook.

It all started when Windsor Locks Police responded to a suspicious activity complaint involving a group of about six people in two different vehicles in the area of Greenfield Avenue around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 7.

While responding, the officer encountered two vehicles and numerous people in the roadway of George Road.

The officer pulled up to the first vehicle, a black Land Rover with tinted windows and attempted to make contact with operator, according to Windsor Locks Police.

The officer exited his cruiser then the suspect turned off its vehicles headlamps and accelerated rapidly toward the direction of the officer, almost striking him and his police cruiser, police said.

The officer reentered his police cruiser and approached the second vehicle that was parked on George Road.

Police said the officer positioned his police cruiser in front of the suspect vehicle and as he exited the cruiser, the vehicle accelerated rapidly toward the officer.

The officer wedged himself between the driver’s door and the driver’s compartment to protect himself from being run over and narrowly escaped serious injury. The suspect vehicle sideswiped the driver door of the cruiser and fled the scene.

A brief pursuit ensued and the cruiser was struck a second time by the suspect vehicle intentionally backing into the front of it, police said.

After the second collision, the suspect vehicle fled and police called off the pursuit, determining that it would be too dangerous to continue.

Police said investigation continued and it was learned that the vehicles were part of a crime spree involving robbery, thefts, stolen cars, occurring from the most northern location of Windsor Locks to their most southern point of Old Saybrook.

On Dec. 10, Windsor Locks Police received information from the Hartford Police Department, which encountered two stolen vehicles in the afternoon hours and were engaged in a brief pursuit.

During this pursuit, the suspects were operating in a reckless and dangerous manner, striking several police cruisers and motorists. After the suspects’ vehicle became disabled they fled and entered a residence to hide from officers, according to police.

The suspects were apprehended a short time later by Hartford Police.

Police confirmed that the operator in the pursuit was the same one who collided with the WLPD cruiser.

Windsor Locks Police arrested the 17-year-old and said he remains in juvenile custody.