Dartmouth man arrested after police chase held on bail in Connecticut court

A wanted suspect who fled from Troopers after driving his pickup truck at them Wednesday morning in Westport is being held following a standoff in North Stonington, Conn.

According to Dave Procopio of Massachusetts State Police, Ian Grant, 36, of Dartmouth was taken into custody around 2 p.m. Wednesday, approximately an hour after his pickup truck went off the road and into the wood line during a pursuit that had just crossed over the state line from Rhode Island.

The chain of events began late this morning shortly after 11 a.m. when New Bedford Police attempted to stop the white Toyota Tacoma that Grant was operating. Officers had attempted to stop Grant because he was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant out of New Bedford District Court for assault and intimidation of a witness. Grant’s 111 Prospect St., Dartmouth, house was also the site of a fire earlier this morning. The origin and cause of that fire remains under investigation by the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit, Dartmouth Fire District 1, and Dartmouth Police.

According to Rhode Island State Police, Grant is a suspect in an arson of his home that occurred earlier Wednesday and was in possession of a firearm, and was possibly suicidal.

In his flight from the New Beford Officers, the suspect entered Route 195, heading west. Three Massachusetts State Troopers who were monitoring the pursuit set up a tire deflation device on Route 195 in Westport, just west of Route 88. Preliminary investigation indicates that as the suspect vehicle approached the Troopers at approximately 11:19 a.m., Grant drove into the median at the Troopers. A Trooper or Troopers discharged their duty weapon(s). The vehicle continued and struck two MSP cruisers before crossing over the median and continuing to flee west on the eastbound side of Route 195 into oncoming traffic. Troopers did not pursue the suspect vehicle due to the wrong-way operation. State Police Troop D Headquarters issued a Be on the Lookout Alert for the white Tacoma. State Police patrols and K9 units, along with a helicopter from the Department’s Air Wing, responded to the area to search for the suspect and vehicle.

A short time later police in Rhode Island located the suspect vehicle in Jamestown, R.I., and began pursuit on Route 1. That pursuit continued into Charlestown, R.I., and continued generally westward Westerly, R.I, and onto Route 78 into Connecticut. Pursuing cruisers were able to stop Grant’s truck on Route 2 in North Stonington using a pit maneuver, just north of Frontage Road. The suspect’s truck went off the road into the wood line. Rhode Island and Connecticut Troopers and Officers established a perimeter around the vehicle and began efforts to negotiate with the suspect. At approximately 2 p.m. a tactical team took Grant into custody. MSP Air Wing helicopter Air 3 provided overflight support to ground units during the pursuit, and was relieved, after the suspect crashed, by MSP Air 3, which continued aerial support to ground units up to and during the arrest.

36-year-old Ian Grant was in court Thursday in Connecticut after being charged with reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, interfering with an officer/resisting, reckless endangerment, and failure to drive in proper lane.

Grant is expected to be extradited to Massachusetts to face additional charges in addition to more charges in Rhode Island.

According to WPRI 12, Grant was held on more than $800,000 bail as a fugitive from justice. Grant’s attorney stated that Grant has “significant mental health issues.” He is due back in court on May 11.