How police say a CT chase that left 7 cops injured unfolded
A 25-year-old Connecticut woman was trying to fund her drug addiction when she committed dozens of car burglaries and was involved in an attempted grocery store theft before trying to evade authorities by smashing into their police cruisers during a pursuit through several towns over the weekend, according to officials and incident reports.
Brookfield resident Hannah Casperson is facing seven counts of assault on a police officer, three counts of conspiracy to commit assault on a police officer, and numerous motor vehicle offenses in connection with Sunday's chase from Waterbury to Monroe, court records show.
She was also charged with reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer and use of drug paraphernalia in connection with an incident Friday in Wolcott.
Casperson and Thomas Crawford, 31, were suspected in a number of thefts in the Waterbury area over the past month, officials said during a press conference Monday. Police claim both were involved in 41 motor vehicle burglaries early Friday in Wolcott.
Casperson has not been charged in connection with the Wolcott car burglaries.
Casperson and Crawford are being represented by public defenders who could not be reached Tuesday for comment. They remain in custody and police said their relationship with each other is unclear.
Authorities believe the Wolcott car burglaries did not yield as much as Casperson and Crawford had hoped, so they attempted to steal from a local grocery store later Friday to fund their drug addiction.
By that time, police said they already had a description of the white Hummer Casperson had been driving and a description of Crawford.
As police said they closed in on them, Casperson fled the grocery store parking lot, leaving Crawford behind with a cart filled with meat.
Police said Crawford was arrested at the store and has been cooperating with their investigation. Police initially pursued Casperson, but ended the chase Friday because she was not wanted for a violent crime.
On Sunday morning, Waterbury police spotted the white Hummer and thought they had Casperson blocked in a deadend street. However, Casperson smashed into the police cruiser to escape, according to police and body camera footage of the incident.
After police said she crashed into eight police cruisers and injured seven officers, Casperson was apprehended a short time later in Monroe.
Here's a timeline of how police say the case unfolded:
Friday
4-5:30 a.m., Wolcott: Police said Casperson and Crawford broke into 41 motor vehicles in the area of Wolfs Hill, Munson and Brooks Hill roads — an area near an assisted living facility and apartments for older adults. Wolcott Police Chief Edward Stephens said Casperson and Crawford weren't familiar with the neighborhood and had expected to steal more from the cars.
Stephens said when Crawford was later arrested, they found a device for smashing windows and glass in his pocket. He said Crawford told investigators he did not try to open the car doors because he feared it could trigger an alarm, instead resorting to smashing the windows and rummaging around inside.
11:30 a.m., Pat’s IGA in Wolcott:
Waterbury police informed authorities in Wolcott that the white Hummer sought in the car burglaries was spotted and headed north back into Wolcott. Cameras and a Wolcott animal control officer spotted the vehicle in the area of Pat's IGA, a grocery store of Route 69, police said.
Police said Casperson fled in the Hummer when she spotted officers approaching the store. Police said Crawford, who was wearing the same coat he was seen in during the car burglaries, was arrested as he was trying to leave the store with a cart full of meat.
“They weren't too successful with what they got from the cars,” Stephens said. “Not enough to support their habit I would say, so that's why they came back into town and they were gonna go and get the meat and probably sell it.”
The chief said police briefly pursued the Hummer that morning before terminating the chase.
Sunday
8:30 a.m., Rutledge Street, Waterbury: Police in Waterbury said they received a tip that the Hummer was on Rutledge Street, a dead-end road off East Main Street.
A Waterbury police officer responded, blocking off the end of Rutledge Street with his cruiser, before approaching the white Hummer on foot.
According to police and body camera footage, Casperson took off when the officer tried to open the door to the SUV. The officer pulled his gun and ordered Casperson to stop, but the video shows her smashing into his cruiser to get away.
After the incident on Rutledge, Casperson drove west on East Main Street to the Brass Mill Way intersection, where she struck another officer's cruiser, police said.
Police said she then continued down Brass Mill Way and got on Interstate 84 west, and then on to Route 8 south. Police pursued her down the highway into the town of Monroe.
“At some point, the officers got off of Route 8 into Monroe and ended up on Monroe Turnpike,” Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said.
9:43 a.m., Route 111, Monroe: Police in Monroe reported on Facebook there had been a “serious accident” on Route 111 near Wheeler Road.
Waterbury police said Casperson's vehicle made a U-turn on Route 111, striking a number of police vehicles while trying to flee in the opposite direction. Spagnolo said the Hummer “veered off” of the eighth police vehicle it struck, causing Casperson's SUV to flip and crash, severing a utility pole.
Spagnolo said Casperson then tried to run away, but was apprehended a short distance away.