Man swinging a hatchet from his window leads police on a chase
By Kirsten Glavin
A car chase lead police through at least six different towns in Massachusetts Monday afternoon.
The chase started around 2 p.m. in Rochester, after the suspect identified by State Police as Randall W. Harrison, 50, of New Bedford was seen smashing his own car with a hatchet before taking off. Police also observed Harrison swinging the hatchet and a knife out of his car window.
Harrison , driving a gold Chevy Blazer, was eventually cuffed after being pinned by multiple police cars near a pole on Purchase Street.
"The environmental cop was coming from the opposite way. He was able to come into the oncoming traffic and slow him down, where the state troopers were able to box him in," explained Tyhon Pina, a witness.
Alex Moujabber, another witness, added "he was swerving all over the road, trying to get away from police."
Harrison’s wife did not answer the door for comment, but neighbors told ABC-6 that he had been struggling with mental illness for years.
"We’ve called the cops plenty of times," said Bessy Ravis, who lives on the floor below Harrison. "We begged the cops to take him in plenty of situations because he would endanger the kids that live here. (…) His wife would go to the hospitals, but no one would want to take care of it (…) We said so many times. If nobody does anything about it, it’s going to get worse and worse and worse."
Harrison is currently being evaluated at St. Lukes Hospital and is in the custody of State Police.
The scene on Purchase Street cleared around 4:30 p.m.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2016
