MERIDEN, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—Meriden police arrested a man for several charges including criminal possession of a handgun after pursuing a speeding vehicle early Wednesday morning.
A patrol officer spotted an erratic driver at around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. According to police, the driver sped up after seeing the officer's cruiser to elude the police officer.
The officer lost sight of the car on Old Colony Road but later found the car crashed into a guardrail around 19 Hall Avenue, police said.
Seeing two men standing beside the car, the officer approached them, but police said they took off running behind a nearby autobody shop.
The patrol officer pursued the men on foot and managed to detain one of them after he fell, police said.
Numerous other patrol units arrived soon thereafter. Upon investigation, police said they located a "Taurus" 9mm handgun inside the car along with a 30-round high capacity magazine and several 9mm rounds of ammunition.
Officers took Julian Dudley, 27, of Meriden into custody. Police also tried to located the second suspect with a K9 track but could not locate him.
Police also located crack cocaine, a small amount of marijuana and a hammer wrapped up in cloth.
According to police, the hammer raised the patrol officer's suspicions since there had been two recent burglaries in which it was believed a hammer was used to smash the establishments' windows.
The police department is investigating to determine if the hammer was, in fact, used in either burglary, officials said.
Dudley was arrested on six different charges including criminal possession of a firearm, no pistol permit and possession of narcotics. He was held on a $150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on February 17.
