2-State Police Chase Began With Walmart Theft: NYSP

CATSKILL, NY — A two-state police chase ended with the arrests of two Brooklyn men. State police said, around 9 p.m. Thursday, troopers were called to assist the Catskill Police Department with a larceny complaint.

They said two men left Walmart in a U-Haul van with items they had stolen. The vehicle was seen by police leaving the village of Catskill on State Route 9W.

The van got to the Thruway and began heading south on I-87.

Troopers said the van appeared to comply with a traffic stop and pulled over on the Thruway in the Town of Saugerties.

The passenger, later identified as Sheffield C. Brown III, 51, of Brooklyn, got out of the van and was taken into custody.

As Brown got out of the van, the driver fled the scene and refused to pull over.

The driver was later identified as Mark Simpson, 31, of Brooklyn. He fled into New Jersey after a lengthy pursuit with multiple police units.

Simpson was taken into custody by the Paramus Police Department after striking five Paramus police vehicles and then fleeing on foot.

He is being held in their jurisdiction facing a multitude of charges, including five counts of assault by vehicle, alluding, resisting arrest, criminal mischief and possession of stolen property.

Police said no officers were injured in New York or New Jersey.

Brown was charged with two counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor, and was arraigned in the Village of Catskill Court. He was sent to the Greene County Jail in lieu of $3,500 bail or $7,000 bond

Brown is scheduled to return to court Thursday.

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