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Conn. man facing several charges after allegedly stealing fire department vehicle, conducting traffic stops
A 46-year-old Conn. man is facing several charges in Mass. after allegedly stealing a fire department pickup truck, Mass. State Police said.
A Connecticut man was arrested Jan. 18 after he allegedly stole a fire department pickup truck and conducted several traffic stops on Interstate 91, Massachusetts State Police said.
Kristian Avery, 46, of Windsor, Conn., is facing several charges in Massachusetts including receiving stolen property, impersonating a police officer, failure to stop for police, negligent operation, and improper use of emergency lights, State Police said in a statement.
At approximately 3:39 a.m., Windsor police officers responded to the Hayden Station Firehouse in Windsor in response to a burglary complaint, Windsor police said in a press release. Officers found that a suspect had broken a television and stolen several tools and a Windsor Fire Department Ford Expedition SUV from the garage, according to police.
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Officers also discovered that the suspect had turned on the gas stove and started a small fire in the garage, police said.
Mass. state troopers received reports of a marked Windsor Fire Department pickup truck conducting “suspicious motor vehicle stops” on I-91 in Northampton and Whatley, according to the statement. During these stops, the man driving the truck activated his emergency lights and interacted with stopped vehicles but did not properly identify himself, State Police said.
Shortly after State Police issued a bulletin to area law enforcement to be on the lookout for the truck, a trooper spotted the vehicle on I-91 in Deerfield and initiated a stop, according to State Police. The driver briefly pulled over before fleeing and initiating a pursuit led by a commanding officer, State Police said.
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Troopers and Deerfield police deployed stop sticks and brought the truck to rest about a mile down the highway, the statement said. Before 5 a.m., Avery was taken into custody without incident, according to State Police.
State Police and Windsor police detectives are investigating the incident. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Avery may face charges in Connecticut, according to Windsor police.
This story has been updated to include information from Windsor police.
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