CHICOPEE — A routine traffic stop escalated into a chase and the arrest of an 18-year-old man and a juvenile on Tuesday at around 5 p.m. when a Chicopee Police Department officer identified a stolen white Jeep SUV at the intersection of Grattan St. and Meadow St.
The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, which then sped away onto 391 south, taking exit 3 and quickly re-entering the highway going north.
After exiting at exit 4, the Jeep collided with another vehicle at the initial intersection where the pursuit began.
Both the driver and the passenger fled the scene on foot.
With the help of bystanders, the officer apprehended the passenger, whose identity is withheld due to their minor status.
Simultaneously, Massachusetts State Police engaged in a foot pursuit of the driver on Skeele St. The suspect, later identified as Alexis Figueroa, an 18-year-old Chicopee resident, was caught and found with a loaded firearm.
Figueroa faces multiple charges including unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, reckless operation, receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a large capacity firearm and ammunition without an FID card, disturbance while carrying a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and resisting arrest.
The juvenile was charged with receiving stolen property.
Further details about the incident and the suspects’ arraignment have not been released.
