A man is currently facing charges related to assault, weapons, drugs, and theft offenses, following a lengthy police chase which resulted in significant damage to two Fairfield Police Department vehicles.
According to the Fairfield Police Department, Officer Christopher Nicholas attempted to stop 50-year-old George Smith, who was driving a stolen 2002 Dodge Durango SUV on Route 46 on Sunday, March 16th at approximately 10 a.m. Smith initially stopped the vehicle but allegedly drove away as the officer approached his car, subsequently crashing into two other Fairfield Police vehicles.
The pursuit continued until the Durango’s tire was too flat to drive, at which time Smith left the car and began running away. Officers from the Fairfield Police Department, who by this time were accompanied by additional reinforcements from the Wayne, Lincoln Park, North Caldwell and Essex Fells police, eventually caught up with Smith and arrested him.
He is now facing a myriad of charges, including those for aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of stolen property,possession of hypodermic syringes, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The above offenses can be classified as crimes of varying degrees, depending upon the circumstances of the specific case. However, the sheer number of offenses, as well as the damage to police property and the injury of law enforcement officials during the incident could expose Smith to a significant term of incarceration and restitution payments if he is ultimately found guilty of the charges.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Cops: NJ man rammed 2 Fairfield police cars during chase
