A Pennsylvania man led police on a wild chase early on June 21 after being pulled over. When things started off badly after the driver began threatening them, the police zapped him with a stun gun. But the man was unfazed and ripped the stun barbs from his body. He then attacked officers, jumped back in his car, and drove off. Not long afterward he attacked police again, this time stealing their police cruiser.
The incidents began after midnight early on Saturday morning when police pulled over 52-year-old Robert Zygarowski of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Police claim he began to act unruly so one officer zapped him with a stun gun to subdue him. From there it all went downhill.
As soon as he was hit with the wired stun barbs, Zygarowski pulled them out, then turned on officer Pearson of the Salem, New Hampshire police. After a tussle, Zygarowski jumped back into his car and drove off.
Zygarowski’s car blew a tire a few miles later and police caught up with him once again. Instead of giving up, the man charged at the officers, then ran to their cruiser and drove off once again, this time in a stolen police vehicle.
Police again gave chase entering Massachusetts in hot pursuit. Eventually several local departments joined in the chase.
Zygarowski had gotten a head start, though, and when police found the cruiser, it was empty. The clerk at a nearby gas station, though, called police when the fugitive entered the store and said he had a gun. He also announced that he intended to shoot police officers.
The man was eventually found on a nearby path tracked by police dogs. At last the wild driver was successfully subdued, but not without another scuffle.
“Zygarowski was finally arrested and charged with assault, resisting arrest and other offenses,” The Associated Press reported. “The other two people in the car were questioned and released without charges. One told police he repeatedly asked to be let out of the car Zygarowski was driving, authorities said.”
The man is now in prison awaiting an arraignment on Monday.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com