A woman faces charges for allegedly leading police on a chase in Derby in a stolen vehicle, crashing into a cruiser and another driver, as officers were investigating a report that she had assaulted a man and his dog.
The chase occurred after officers responded to a parking lot at 160 Elizabeth St. where they received the report that a woman had assaulted a man and his dog before fleeing in a stolen vehicle on Sept. 27, according to the Derby Police Department.
Police said the suspect was identified as 31-year-old Aliyah Beeman of Bridgeport who was spotted by officers on Elizabeth Street near Seymour Avenue. According to police, officers tried to initiate a motor vehicle stop, but Beeman began fleeing when she allegedly passed another driver and intentionally struck a police cruiser before side-swiping a motorist.
Police allege Beeman was taken into custody after refusing to get out of the vehicle, which had an “unwilling” adult and juvenile passenger inside, according to police.
Beeman was arrested on four counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, three counts of attempted assault on a police officer and a single count each of risk of injury to a minor, assault on a police officer, interfering with an officer, reckless driving, operating with a suspended license and disobeying the signal of an officer/attempting to elude police.
According to police, officers found that she had eight warrants out for her arrest on charges of failure to appear in court in connection with pending cases. She was held on a $250,000 bond.
Police said they anticipate filing additional assault and animal cruelty charges against Beeman in connection with the initial report they received.
“The Derby Police Department commends the quick response of its officers in bringing this dangerous incident to a safe resolution without further harm to the public,” the police department said in a statement. “Anyone with additional information is encouraged to come forward.”