A man from Vermont, who led Massachusetts police on a high-speed chase, allegedly dragging a state trooper before fleeing into Connecticut, was apprehended on Wednesday evening.
Mason Payne, a 23-year-old, was taken into custody at approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday at a motel in Stamford, Connecticut, say Stamford police. The arrest followed a multi-state manhunt. Reports indicate that two firearms were discovered in Payne’s room and vehicle upon his apprehension.
The sequence of events began on Tuesday afternoon in Dover, Vermont. According to local police, Payne was involved in an armed domestic assault. Later that same evening, around 10 p.m., he was intercepted in Holyoke, Massachusetts, by a state police trooper.
During this police stop, Payne is reported to have dragged the trooper several feet with his vehicle before making his getaway. Police ended their pursuit due to safety concerns. The suspect, a resident of Weathersfield, Vermont, was last observed driving an older model black Audi sedan.
This development followed earlier reports that during the search, Payne was considered armed and dangerous. Police stated that he had made threats to harm law enforcement officers.
In summary, a multi-state manhunt for a Vermont man, accused of assaulting a state trooper and leading police on a high-speed chase, ended with his arrest in a Connecticut motel. It is noteworthy that the alleged crimes spanned across three states and involved multiple law enforcement agencies.
