WATERBURY, Ct. — A Connecticut woman wanted in connection with dozens of recent vehicle break-ins led cops on a multi-town pursuit Sunday afternoon that left seven officers hospitalized and her Hummer wrecked.
Hannah Casperson, 25, was being pursued by law enforcement after her boyfriend and alleged accomplice in the break-ins, Thomas Crawford, was captured Friday by police, WTNH reported.
The Waterbury Police Department released body camera footage on Monday that shows an officer approaching Casperson’s white Hummer after blocking off the street to prevent her flight.
The Hummer, presumed to be driven by Casperson, then rams the officer’s cruiser repeatedly, clearing a path for escape. Watch the footage, obtained by WTNH, below:
Throughout the roughly 25-mile pursuit, Casperson is accused of ramming eight police cruisers before being taken into custody after crashing her vehicle into a telephone pole in Monroe.
Waterbury Chief of Police Fernando Spagnolo confirmed to the Hartford Courant on Monday that all seven officers injured during the pursuit were treated at an area hospital and released Sunday, but none have been cleared to return to duty.
While the officers’ injuries included only bruises and neck and back sprains, Casperson suffered a broken femur and dislocated hip after flipping her Hummer, the Courant reported.
According to WTNH, Casperson has been arraigned on the following charges:
- Assault on a public safety officer (seven counts)
- Criminal attempt of assault on a public safety officer (three counts)
- Reckless endangerment in the first degree
- Interfering with an officer
- Failure to insure a private vehicle
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Failure to obey a stop sign
- Improper turn signal
- Failure to drive in the proper lane
- Evading responsibility
- Engaging police in a pursuit
- Reckless driving
- Traveling unreasonably fast
Court records show Casperson pleaded guilty in November to criminal mischief in Southbury and failure to appear in court and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. She also has pleaded not guilty to an unrelated charge of interfering with police, the TV station reported.
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