Hartford man leads Bristol police on early morning pursuit, rams police cruiser
A Hartford man led police on a dangerous on and off-road car chase early Tuesday morning through Bristol, ramming one cruiser and missing several others, before finally breaking down before the car could get on the highway, police said.
Joseph Abreu, 24, was taken into custody without further incident after the car came to a stop near Route 72 and its interchange with Interstate 84, Lt. Geoffrey Lund said.
Abreu was charged with nine total offenses, including three counts of attempt to commit assault on a police officer and engaging police in pursuit. He was held on three separate bonds totaling $1.05 million.
The incident began at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday when police first received reports of possible gunshots on various streets in the downtown and southwest areas of the city, Lund said.
Responding officers spotted a white Audi fleeing the area on West Street but could not stop the vehicle after several tries and the car nearly rammed another police cruiser “head-on” as it continued to flee on East Road, Lund said.
Officers spotted the Audi again on Seymour Street, where it had stopped to let two passengers out of the car, but the driver immediately accelerated at another cruiser as police approached, Lund said.
The officer in that cruiser avoided collision as the Audi drove up onto a lawn and back onto the road while other officers gave chase, but the Audi “intentionally rammed” another police cruiser responding to the neighborhood as it fled, Lund said. The officer in that car was not hurt but the vehicle was seriously damaged.
The two passengers who had left the car were interviewed by police and told officers the car already had crashed into another car on Wolcott Street and evaded that scene before the police chase began, Lund said. Neither passenger was charged and both were released.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Audi continued to race away from police through the city but finally came to a stop near the Route 72 and I-84 interchange after a mechanical failure, Lund said.
Abreu was arrested immediately, without further incident, and charged, Lund said.
Police found evidence of fireworks in the vehicle but not a firearm, Lund said. Investigators cannot yet confirm whether the initial noises reported to police were fireworks or actual gunshots, so an investigation is ongoing, he added.
Additional charges are expected for Abreu, who also was wanted by state police on other charges of engaging police in pursuit stemming from a separate incident.
Zach Murdock can be reached at zmurdock@courant.com.
