WESTFIELD — Three members of the Westfield Police Department are recovering from injuries sustained during the pursuit of a stolen motor vehicle late last week.
Charges ranging from resisting arrest to assaulting a police officer have been filed against a Maryland resident in connection with the incident.
According to information provided by Chief Christopher Battiloro of the Westfield Police Department, police were alerted to the presence of a motor vehicle displaying stolen tags by one of the town’s new License Plate Reading (LPR) cameras at approximately 5:10 p.m. on Thursday.
A second alert for the same vehicle was received from another LPR camera at approximately 5:12 p.m., which led police to believe that the vehicle was traveling farther north on Central Avenue.
In response to these alerts, Officer Donald Picciano responded to the area and located the vehicle in question, a 2017 Nissan Altima that was registered in Pennsylvania, near the intersection of Central Avenue and West Grove Street.
According to police reports, Officer Picciano activated his emergency lights and siren and attempted to execute a motor vehicle stop, but the driver refused to pull over, and a westbound pursuit ensued down West Grove Street and onto Boulevard.
“The vehicle that was being pursued made its way through several south-side neighborhoods, including across the front lawn of a residence located on Frazee Court, and eventually to the north side and into Garwood via North Avenue,” Chief Battiloro said in a recent press release.
Other police vehicles, driven by Sergeant Richard Gill and Officer Joseph Saunders, joined the pursuit.
The driver and sole occupant of the Nissan, later identified as Jason Burkett, 44, of Cockeysville, Md., eventually pulled into a Garwood gas station on North Avenue and crashed into a building after realizing that the parking lot offered no access back out to the road.
The pursuing officers followed the Nissan into the parking lot and collided with Burkett, who refused to comply with the officers’ demands that he exit the vehicle and was ultimately removed by force.
“Sergeant Gill, Officer Saunders, and Plainclothes Officer Ryan Weiss all sustained lacerations from broken glass while effecting the arrest of Burkett,” Chief Battiloro said.
All three officers were initially treated by first responders from the Westfield Rescue Squad and the Garwood First Aid Squad before being transferred by ambulance to Overlook Medical Center in Summit for further treatment of their injuries.
One officer, Chief Battiloro said, required 10 stitches in his arm.
Burkett has been charged with resisting arrest, second degree aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, obstructing justice, two counts of receiving stolen property and criminal mischief.
If convicted, Burkett could face up to 10 years in prison and be forced to pay a fine of up to $150,000 for the aggravated assault charge alone.
Burkett was processed at the Westfield Police Department Headquarters and was later committed to the Essex County Correctional Facility pending further court proceedings.
“Vehicle pursuits are undoubtedly dangerous, but they have become necessary to effectively combat crimes involving stolen vehicles,” Chief Battiloro said. “Our police officers will continue to aggressively fight crime, but they will do so in the safest way possible and always with the utmost professionalism.”
All three officers are expected to make a full recovery.
