Police Arrest Suspect on Springs Road After Pursuit Through Several Communities

Official press release on behalf of the Police Departments in Newton, Billerica, Concord, Bedford, and the Massachusetts State Police

Area police officials are pleased to announce that a coordinated effort among several police agencies resulted in the arrest of a suspect who is believed to have been involved in several armed carjackings and a home invasion late Sunday and Monday.

One civilian was hurt during a tumultuous pursuit through several jurisdictions today.

Police in Newton, Billerica, Concord, Carlisle, Bedford, and the Massachusetts State Police today pursued a suspect who is accused of taking part in a crime spree spanning those communities.

At the end of the incident, which concluded in Bedford, Donald Hall, 28, of Everett was arrested and now faces multiple charges.

While the investigation is still unfolding, police believe the string of incidents may have started late Sunday night with a carjacking and assault in Haverhill. The suspect is believed to have then traveled to the City of Newton, where the vehicle was found abandoned at the intersection of Crafts Street and Ashmont Road at about 5:15 a.m.

Hours later, the suspect allegedly knocked on the front door of a home on Lincoln Road in Newton and told the resident that he had struck her vehicle. He went into the home, stole the keys to an Acura sedan, and fled.

Newton Police spotted the stolen car in West Newton Square. Two Newton Police officers in separate cars approached. One officer pulled in front of the suspect vehicle and exited the car. At that time, the suspect is accused of aggressively driving toward the officer, causing him to draw his service weapon and fire. It is not known at this time if the suspect was struck.

The suspect then drove around the officer and struck three vehicles near the intersection of Watertown and Washington streets, injuring an occupant of one of the vehicles who was treated for non life-threatening injuries at an area hospital.

The suspect fled down Waltham Street to River Street.

The suspect then went to Billerica and allegedly carjacked a motorist’s Toyota Tundra pickup truck from 240 Nashua Road and Carlisle, close to the Concord line, where the suspect allegedly shot at police officers, who returned fire between 915 and 1140 Concord St.

The suspect then drove to Concord, where he allegedly carjacked a Ford Flex sport utility vehicle from a pharmacy parking lot at 91 Lowell Road.

The suspect drove toward Hanscom Air Force Base before making an abrupt U-turn. State Police joined the pursuit, which continued into Bedford. As the suspect crossed the Bedford line, Bedford Police Officers deployed spike strips, which the suspect ran over, puncturing his tires. A short time later, pursuing police cruisers performed a specialized maneuver, which caused the suspect to lose control of the vehicle. The suspect struck a utility pole and then a tree.

The use of spike strips and the police maneuver, called a precision immobilization technique, helped bring the situation to an end. No police or civilians were injured as the suspect’s vehicle was stopped.

“This dangerous, armed felon clearly showed he was willing to put innocent people in harm’s way. I’m very proud of the quick thinking of my officers in deploying spike strips, which helped bring an end to this incident,” said Bedford Police Chief Robert Bongiorno.

Hall was arrested at the scene and taken to a local hospital for treatment for injuries that are considered serious but not life-threatening. Police found a firearm in the vehicle.

Hall will likely be arraigned from his hospital bed or in the morning on multiple charges related to the pursuit.

“I’m proud of the actions of all the officers involved in the successful apprehension of an armed and dangerous suspect, and we are grateful that no one was hurt as this suspect tore through our community,” said Billerica Deputy Police Chief Roy Frost.

“Inter-agency teamwork and strong communication among the police agencies involved helped ensure this dangerous situation ended safely for all those involved. I salute the brave officers who risked their lives to protect innocent people today,” said Carlisle Police Chief John Fisher.

“This suspect clearly showed that he was willing to harm police and innocent people today, and the excellent work of all the police officers involved today ensured that neither of those scenarios came to pass,” said Concord Police Chief William G. Chase.

The suspect is considered innocent until proven guilty. Today’s incidents are under investigation by Municipal Police, State Police, and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan