Several vehicles — including police cruisers — and a building were struck during an escape attempt by two suspects in a stolen vehicle in Southington Thursday.
Several vehicles, including multiple police cruisers, and a building were struck during an escape attempt by two suspects in a stolen vehicle in Southington on Thursday.
Police officers received a notification from a “FLOCK” license plate reader that indicated a stolen vehicle had just entered Southington at about 7:43 p.m. on Thursday, according to the Southington Police Department. Police said they quickly located the vehicle parked in a commercial lot at 1664 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike where officers discovered two people inside.
Police converged on the vehicle and attempted to block it in, at which point the driver, later identified as 28-year-old Damon Davis of Waterbury, reportedly rammed a police cruiser and another vehicle parked nearby that was occupied by a patron of a local business, according to police.
Davis then got out of the vehicle and tried to run away but was quickly apprehended by officers, police said. According to police, he was reportedly found with a handgun with an obliterated serial number, 70 bags of fentanyl and nearly $2,000.
While Davis was being taken into custody, the other suspect, identified as 27-year-old Tiomonte Morgan of Waterbury, got into the driver’s seat and backed the vehicle up, reportedly striking the commercial building and an unoccupied vehicle, police said. Morgan drove a short distance through the parking lot before ramming another Southington police cruiser, according to police.
As additional officers converged on the vehicle, Morgan reportedly rammed between two police vehicles in an escape attempt until the vehicle became disabled, police said. Officers said they were able to get into the car through the driver’s side window and pull Morgan out.
Police reportedly found a loaded Glock handgun on the floor of the driver’s side of the vehicle. The gun had been reported stolen and was reportedly modified to be used as an automatic weapon, according to police.
During a search of the vehicle, police allege that they also found 610 individual bags of fentanyl packaged for sale, 6.6 grams of powder fentanyl, 7.1 grams of cocaine, 1.5 ounces of crack cocaine and other drug paraphernalia related to drug sales.
Southington police said they later learned that the stolen vehicle had been involved in an incident in Middletown where the driver reportedly fled and caused damage to a police cruiser.
Davis faces two counts of possession with intent to sell and a single count each of first-degree larceny, second-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer, criminal possession of a firearm, weapons in a motor vehicle, obliterated serial number and first-degree criminal mischief. He was being held in lieu of a $1 million bond and is expected to be arraigned Monday in New Britain Superior Court.
Morgan faces two counts of possession with intent to sell and a single count each of criminal attempt to commit second-degree assault, first-degree larceny, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, weapons in a motor vehicle, first-degree criminal mischief, stolen firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer and possession of high-capacity magazine. He was also being held on a $1 million bond pending an arraignment Monday in New Britain Superior Court.
