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Amanda Belcher, 41, and James Coates, 49, who both had outstanding warrants, face several charges following the theft and wild chase that followed, Fairfield Police said.
Police were called to the Home Depot at 541 Kings Highway Cutoff around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24, after store security spotted two people allegedly stealing more than $1,200 in merchandise, authorities said.
When the suspects saw police, they bolted. Belcher ran to her car, chased by a Fairfield police, authorities said. She jumped in and floored it in reverse, dragging the officer behind with the vehicle.
The officer was knocked off as Belcher took off out of the parking lot, police said. She later crashed into a car behind a Lexus dealership on Meadow Street near Sunset Avenue and sped away.
Authorities caught her at the Sunnyside Hotel in Bridgeport. She had the officer's Velcro name badge with her, and she had smashed their phone in an attempt to prevent investigators from finding her, police said.
Coates, however, ran from the Home Depot and hid out in the backyard of a nearby home. The homeowner called the police when they noticed him, authorities said.
However, he refused to comply with officers' requests, and they used a stun gun to put him in handcuffs, officials said.
Paramedics treated two officers for minor injuries in the incident.
Belcher is charged with:
- Assault on a police officer
- Interfering with a police officer
- Trespassing
- Theft (fourth degree)
- Reckless driving
- Misuse of license plate
- Failure to insure a motor vehicle
- Driving without a license
- Driving an unregistered vehicle
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
A judge ordered her held on a $75,000 bond, authorities said.
Coates was charged with:
- Interfering with an officer
- Trespassing
- Conspiracy to steal in the fourth-degree
Officials ordered him held on a $10,000 bond, authorities said.
Both are considered "repeat offenders" and had multiple warrants for theft in several other places, Fairfield police said.
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