Middletown police arrested a driver who nearly ran into pedestrians, almost backed into a police officer and engaged patrols in a pursuit early Saturday morning.
Brandon Willis, 31, is facing multiple charges including assault and reckless endangerment.
Police responded to the area of Clinton Avenue and Grand Street on Saturday, July 25 at 3:37 a.m. after receiving reports of a disturbance.
Middletown officers spoke to about seven people in front of 219 Pearl Street. One of them was a 24-year-old woman who said she was standing in the street talking with her friends when a silver car "tried to run her over," police said.
A responding officer heard a car engine rev loudly in the Pearl Street area, south of where the group was standing. The officer then saw a silver car head north on the street toward their location and swerved toward a pedestrian who was walking. The driver slammed on the brakes at a stop sign at the intersection of Pearl and Grand streets, causing the tires to screech. Several people police were interviewing said, "that's the car."
Police made contact with the driver, Willis, but he didn't turn off his vehicle when asked, police said. Instead, he backed up and cut the wheel, almost striking an officer and sped off committing several traffic violations, police said.
Police located his car near Westfield Street and Fisher Road. The car was disabled and abandoned. While searching the area on foot, the police officer who wrote the incident report said that another officer indicated over the police radio that he had a man detained behind a home at 61 Westfield Street. Willis was in handcuffs and lying on his stomach when the officer arrived.
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State police records indicate Willis is under a court order to use an ignition interlock device, a type of breathalyzer, on his car before driving. The Chrysler 300 he was driving didn't have one on it.
Police charged Willis with engaging police in a pursuit, evading responsibility, illegal operation without an ignition interlock device, attempt to commit a crime, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, three counts of failure to obey a stop sign, interfering with police and traveling unreasonably fast.
