01/26/14 St. Albans, VT – Foot Chase – Suspect Steals Police Cruiser – Hits Officer – High Speed Pursuit – Crashes Into Telephone Pole Injuries

January 16, 2014

wcax.com

A police cruiser was stolen in St. Albans City Sunday evening. What began as a high speed pursuit, ended with a police officer and the suspect in the hospital.

The high-speed chase ended after the suspect crashed the cruiser into a telephone pole on Route 104. Police have not released the suspect’s name. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the crash.

St. Albans Police Chief Gary Taylor said Sunday, “Officers were attempting to arrest a subject wanted on a warrant, he is well known to the officers. There was a foot pursuit and he was just ahead of the officer and he managed to jump into the cruiser. As the officer jumped over the snow bank to try to stop him, he actually struck the officer with the car, as he fled away.”

Police say the suspect deliberately plowed the cruiser into the telephone pole after he saw cruisers coming the other way. The police officer he hit was also taken to the hospital.