URGENT UPDATE: A Middletown man is facing serious charges after allegedly dragging a police officer from his vehicle and leading authorities on a high-speed chase on December 25, 2023. The incident unfolded in Rocky Hill and escalated to speeds exceeding 100 mph on Interstate 91, culminating in a collision with a police cruiser.
According to reports from the Connecticut State Police, the chaos began in the early morning hours when officers attempted to stop a black Ford Edge linked to the suspect. The driver, identified as 46-year-old Tyshawn Jermiane Adams, allegedly dragged a Rocky Hill police officer during the initial stop attempt. The officer sustained minor injuries but is recovering.
Police spotted the vehicle around 2:30 a.m. as it entered I-91 from Exit 27 in Hartford. When officers attempted to pull Adams over, he accelerated dramatically, weaving through traffic and attempting to evade capture. Authorities report that at one point, Adams turned off his headlights and drove erratically across multiple lanes, seemingly targeting pursuing cruisers.
Troopers deployed stop sticks, successfully puncturing one of Adams’ tires. Despite this, he managed to continue driving until slowing down on the Exit 28 ramp. It was here that police executed a controlled box-in maneuver to bring the chase to an end. In a reckless move, Adams allegedly struck a police cruiser, disabling it before his arrest.
Upon his capture, authorities discovered that Adams had outstanding warrants for violating probation. A search of his vehicle revealed large quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, along with materials typically used in drug manufacturing and distribution.
According to police, Adams displayed clear signs of impairment and admitted to using multiple drugs prior to the pursuit. He allegedly believed that officers would cease the chase once he exceeded 100 mph.
Adams now faces a litany of charges, including operating a drug factory, reckless driving, disobeying an officer’s signal, engaging in police pursuit, operating under the influence, and more. He has been held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Friday.
This shocking event highlights ongoing issues with drug-related crimes and reckless driving in Connecticut. As authorities continue to address these challenges, the community remains on alert for similar incidents.
Stay tuned for further updates as details emerge from this developing story.
