State police: Stolen vehicle hits cruiser, injures trooper in Tolland
Feb. 21—TOLLAND — A state trooper was injured and five suspects were arrested after an incident on the town green Saturday afternoon.
State police from the Troop C barracks received a 911 call around 2:34 p.m. about several suspects attempting to steal vehicles in the area of Kozley Road.
As troopers responded to the area, a second 911 call came in from a residence on Williams Way, reporting an attempted burglary in his garage.
The male caller said one of the suspects pulled a firearm on him when he approached them.
State police were provided a vehicle description and plate and learned the car, an Acura RDX, had been stolen out of Newington.
Around 10 minutes after the initial 911 call, a state trooper saw the stolen vehicle heading south on Old Stafford Road.
As the state trooper turned around to follow the vehicle, the stolen vehicle fled through the intersection of Old Stafford and Dunn Hill and headed south onto the Tolland Green.
On the green, police said the Acura drove at the state trooper's cruiser, which was traveling north with his lights and sirens activated, intentionally hitting the cruiser.
Both vehicles came to a stop near the green, and five suspects fled on foot.
The state trooper and his canine partner chased the driver on foot, who was later identified as Malik Price, 19, of Hartford.
During the foot chase, Price threw a handgun on the ground.
The police dog was able to apprehend Price and hold him until the state trooper placed him into custody.
Additional state troopers and emergency personnel responded to the area to set up a perimeter.
A short time later, the police dog located a second suspect, a 15-year-old juvenile, in the woods nearby the crash.
Police said the teenage suspect was confirmed to have committed a burglary in an occupied residence while attempting to elude capture.
Three additional suspects, Jashawn Jackson, 18, and two other male juveniles, were later hiding in a shed at a residence on Torry Road.
All suspects were processed and are due to be arraigned Monday.
Price is facing a slew of charges. They include four counts of reckless endangerment, three counts of risk of injury to a child, three counts of assault, carrying a pistol without a permit, larceny of a vehicle, and criminal use of a weapon. His bond was set to $500,000.
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