Man Who Started Highway Shootout Dies

The Hartford man who shot at police from the back of a taxicab in New York Saturday died Monday night. 

The ordeal started when Darrel Brown called Bloomfield-based Yellow Car to drive him from Hartford to Albany, N.Y.  En route, Brown instigated a highway shootout and a police officer shot him in the head, according to information from police. 

Police don’t know why Brown was on his way to Albany, but his trip ended when police pulled the cabbie over on Interstate 90 for going almost 20 miles over the speed limit, police said. 

"While talking to the cab driver and passenger, the trooper observed Brown pulling an assault rifle out of a duffel bag," Major William Sprague of the New York State Police, said.

A dash cam video New York State Police released Monday shows Brown shooting out the back of a taxicab and firing dozens of rounds into the windshield of the patrol car.

An all-out attack followed, police said. The trooper and cabbie ran to safety. Brown fired at least 28 shots at both police and drivers, police said.

Part of I-90 was closed while police evacuated drivers. Witnesses said the shootout lasted almost an hour, but was silenced when a trooper shot Brown in the head.

Brown collapsed and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, police said.

He was removed from life support just after 8 p.m. Monday and died from his wounds, New York State Police said. An autopsy will be performed at Albany Medical Center. 

Brown had a criminal history. He was arrested in Meriden in 2006 for carrying and selling dangerous weapons, pleaded guilty to the charge and served jail time.

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