A Farmington police officer has serious injuries after he was struck by a stolen vehicle early Monday morning.
Officers were called to a condominium parking lot on Talcott Notch Road shortly before 1 a.m. after getting a report of an active theft from a vehicle in the area. A witness believed there was a catalytic converter theft in progress, investigators said.
When police arrived, they said they found the suspect vehicle and an officer parked in front of it to make contact with a suspect.
The vehicle attempted to flee and hit a Farmington police officer who had just got out of his police vehicle, authorities said.
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The suspect pinned the officer between the driver's side of the police cruiser and the suspect's vehicle and crushed him as he got away, they added.
The officer was transported to St. Francis Hospital where he is being treated for serious, but non-life threatening injuries to his lower body, according to police.
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"The officer suffered some very serious injuries mostly to the lower portion of this person and he is being prepped and he will be needing surgery today," said Lt. Tim McKenzie of the Farmington Police Department. "It is non-life threatening, but he’s in a lot of pain.”
After hitting the officer, additional police pursued the vehicle a short distance before it crashed into the woods and the suspect or suspects fled on foot, investigators said.
Multiple K9 teams searched in the area for the suspects, but were unable to find them.
At this time, the search for the suspect or suspects is ongoing. Police do not have the identity of the driver of the stolen vehicle, they said.
According to officers, the vehicle was determined to be stolen out of Middletown. Police said they are speaking with witnesses and reviewing dashcam video.
Farmington police said they have seen a sharp increase over the last couple of years in Connecticut with people stealing both cars and catalytic converters.
Anyone with information or anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Farmington Police Department at (860) 675-2400.
