Chief James Donovan
53 Orchard St.,
Raynham, MA 02767
For Immediate Release
Friday, Sept. 15, 2017
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Raynham Police Arrest Man After Striking Three Police Cruisers During Pursuit
RAYNHAM — Chief James W. Donovan reports that the Raynham Police Department arrested a man after he fled from officers and struck multiple police cruisers early this morning.
HERBERTO ALMONTE, AGE 32, of PORT JEFFERSON, NEW YORK, was arrested and charged with:
- Assault and Battery With a Dangerous Weapon, Motor Vehicle (Three Counts)
- Operating a Motor Vehicle With a Suspended License
- Failure to Stop for Police
- Red Light Violation
- Marked Lanes Violation
- Driving To Endanger
- Mistreatment of a Police Dog
- Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Crash (Four Counts)
Additionally, ALMONTE had two active warrants out of Brockton District Court for Larceny of a Drug and Breaking and Entering Into a Building.
At approximately 3:35 a.m., Raynham Police responded to the Walmart parking lot to perform a well-being check on an individual who was believed to have suffered a medical event. Upon arrival, an officer located the vehicle that the individual had reportedly been driving.
As the officer attempted to check the vehicle, his attention was drawn to a nearby SUV when a passenger in that vehicle yelled out to him. As the officer attempted to identify the passenger, the male driver of the vehicle, later identified as ALMONTE, shifted the car into gear and began to drive away at a high rate of speed.
As ALMONTE began to flee, a second Raynham officer entered the parking lot and attempted to stop him. ALMONTE then drove around one of the officer’s cruisers toward the rear of the store and led officers on a chase over grass embankments and around the parking lot before turning onto Paramount Road.
Officers continued to pursue ALMONTE as he drove erratically, crossing a median into the opposite traffic lanes and into another parking lot, then onto Route 44 and Orchard Street, where ALMONTE used the SUV to ram a police cruiser. Officers then attempted to slow the SUV’s progress by boxing it in.
ALMONTE eventually struck a second cruiser as he continued to flee and later a third as officers were able to successfully box in the vehicle and end the pursuit. Police then took ALMONTE into custody without incident.
Upon completion of the pursuit, officers returned to the parking lot and were able to locate and render aid to the individual they had initially been dispatched to help.
ALMONTE was held overnight without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Taunton District Court.
These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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