Two men who fled from a traffic stop in Bridgeport on Tuesday were taken into custody and arrested with some help from a K-9 and a stun gun, police said.
Bridgeport police tried to pull over a black Chevy Impala near Birmingham and Main streets just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday Aug, 17, but Derrence T. Saunders, 37, of Bridgeport sped off after pulling over for just a moment, police said.
Police followed the car down Burnsford Avenue and Merritt Street until Saunders stopped when he crashed into a stone wall while trying to turn at the corner of Wayne and Fern streets, police said.
But Saunders and the passenger, Dewight Baird, 33, also of Bridgeport, did not stop. Police said they ran from the car and took off down Fern Street, police said.
When the men ignored officers, authorities released the police dog, which apprehended Saunders. When the suspect fell to the ground, a pistol magazine fell from his hand, police said.
Saunders continued to resist arrest and being handcuffed, but once the handcuffs were on,
more police officers arrived and the suspect was transported to St. Vincent’s Hospital for lacerations and dog bites to his right and left legs.
Police also gave Baird a warning, then shot him with a stun gun, according to a news release, but it did not stop him.
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When Bard broke free and ran into the woods, additional officers searched the surrounding areas and found him on Main Street, near Fern Street.
Officers found him with a prong from a stun gun still lodged in the back of his right arm. At first, he resisted arrested and was transported to St. Vincent’s for the Taser prong to be removed.
Police said Saunders threw a firearm from the driver’s side window while running from the initial motor vehicle stop and police recovered a black .40 caliber Ruger with a black magazine loaded with 11 live rounds.
Saunders was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm, weapons in a motor vehicle, illegal delivery, transfer or sale of a firearm, interfering/resisting, unregistered motor vehicle, engaging police in pursuit, and reckless driving.
