A suspect allegedly trashed a Waterville police cruiser on Sunday after ramming it with a stolen vehicle while attempting to escape law enforcement.
[RELATED: Mass Man Wanted by U.S. Marshals Arrested After Crashing Into NH Police Cruiser During Chase…]
At approximately 8:30 a.m., Waterville Police officers responded to Dunkin’ Donuts on College Avenue following reports that a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo had been stolen.
Officers then searched the area and spotted the stolen vehicle on Kennedy Memorial Drive and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
Instead of complying, the driver allegedly refused, and a pursuit ensued. The driver fled southbound on Interstate 95 towards Augusta.
Waterville officers were able to successfully deploy road spikes to deflate the stolen vehicle’s tires, but the driver, later identified as Christopher Poirier, 38, of Waterville, continued driving with deflated tires.
The Maine State Police then joined the pursuit before the suspect left the interstate at Exit 113. They were able to successfully execute a PIT maneuver and stop the vehicle.
Poirier allegedly fled on foot but was quickly apprehended and taken into custody on Old Belgrade Road.
During the chase, Poirier allegedly rammed a Waterville cruiser and completely disabled it. The extent of the damage to the cruiser is not clear.
He was transported to the Kennebec County Jail and faces charges of eluding an officer, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, aggravated criminal mischief, theft by unauthorized taking, driving to endanger, operating with a suspended license, and criminal speed.
He was issued a $2,560 bail.
Waterville police noted that, prior to the chase, Poirier was removed from a local business at the request of the staff, claiming that it was an important detail; however, they provided no additional information on the incident, nor did they explain what bearing it had on the theft incident.
Update: This story has been updated to remove reference to a Facebook page for a different Christopher Poirier from Waterville.
