Drug charges, a high speed chase, and a crash leads to prison sentence for Attleboro man

A 23-year-old Attleboro convicted cocaine trafficker who was driving in excess of 80 miles per hour along a heavily travelled one lane road in Norton before crashing and fleeing from police last January, was sentenced to serve two years in state prison today, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Trevor Harrison pleaded guilty today in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with trafficking in excess of 18 grams of cocaine, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of property damage and operating a motor vehicle to endanger.

On January 13, 2019 at approximately 9:30 p.m., Officer Jarrad Morse of the Norton Police Department was dispatched to Freeman Street home for a 911 hang up call. Officer Morse was driving on N. Worcester Street approaching W. Main Street when he heard the call. At the intersection of N. Worcester and W. Main, Officer Morse observed a red Nissan pull onto W. Main Street. At the same time, Officer Morse activated his emergency lights and siren to respond to the 911 call. As Officer Morse was going to pass the sedan, the operator of the red Nissan, later identified as the defendant, accelerated away at a high rate of speed. Officer Morse observed the defendant driving in speeds of excess of 80 miles per hour. In the area of W. Main and Oak Street, the defendant crossed over the yellow dividing line and nearly struck another vehicle head-on. The defendant continued to speed, driving between 75 and 90 miles per hour. While attempting to make a right hand turn onto Taunton Avenue, the defendant crashed into a utility pole, causing damage. When Officer Morse arrived at the scene, the red Nissan was resting against the telephone pole in the opposite travel lane. The vehicle had sustained heavy front end damage in the collision. The defendant was standing in the open doorway of the vehicle. As Officer Morse pulled his cruiser up to the Nissan, the defendant looked at Officer Morse and ran towards Wheaton College.

Officer Morse chased the defendant on foot, commanding him to stop multiple times. The defendant ran to a small area between the Norton post office and a row of hedges separating the property from Wheaton College. The defendant came to a stop by a chain link fence and threw a large bag containing a white substance believed to be cocaine into the hedges. The defendant ignored Officer Morse’s commands and took a fighting stance. The defendant clenched his fists and cocked back his right hand. As the defendant attempted to grab onto Officer Morse, a struggled ensued between Officer Morse and the defendant, at which point a second officer arrived on scene to assist in taking the defendant into custody.

A subsequent search of the hedges resulted in the recovery of the bag of cocaine, which weighed just under 27 grams. In the defendant’s left pocket, the police located $1,006 in U.S. currency in different denominations.

After accepting the defendant’s guilty pleas this morning, Judge Renee Dupuis sentenced the defendant to serve two years in state prison and also ordered the cash seized during the arrest forfeited.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Carolyn Morrissette.