Man jumped on East Haven cop car during street takeover, police say (original) (raw)

East Haven police say Liam Timothy Walsh, a Massachusetts man, is accused of jumping on a police cruiser during a street takeover in November.

Courtesy of the East Haven Police Department

EAST HAVEN — A Massachusetts man has been arrested after an investigation found he was one of the people who jumped on a police cruiser during a street takeover last year, officials say.

In a release, the East Haven Police Department said Liam Timothy Walsh, a 20-year-old from Somerville, was charged on Tuesday with inciting injuries to persons or property, first-degree criminal mischief, unlawful assembly and second-degree breach of peace.

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Police said officers were dispatched to the ShopRite Plaza on Foxon Road in the early morning hours of Nov. 30 for a report of multiple vehicles blocking the roadway, performing burnouts and people setting off fireworks.

The first officer to arrive at the scene was immediately confronted by several masked individuals, police said. One of the suspects sprayed his police cruiser with a fire extinguisher before throwing it at the vehicle, they said, while other people lit off fireworks.

Police said multiple people then climbed onto the occupied police cruiser and began kicking it. They said the individuals fled, but then returned to taunt officers at the scene.

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The same vehicles were later observed in surrounding towns, police said, adding it appeared to be an attempt to provoke similar encounters in those jurisdictions.

Police said Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Vailette led the Investigative Services Division's "extensive investigation" into the incident. They said the inquiry ultimately led to the development of several suspects and the securing of multiple arrest warrants in this case.

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With the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police Revere Barracks, police said, one of the suspects seen in multiple videos jumping on a police cruiser while filming himself was identified as Walsh.

Police said Walsh was taken into custody by the Massachusetts State Police Fugitive Task Force on March 18, waived extradition and was transported to the East Haven Police Department on Tuesday. They said he is being held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in the state Superior Court in New Haven on Wednesday.