WESTPORT — Westport police officers apprehended a man with a suspended license and three active warrants following a vehicle pursuit and brief foot chase on March 1.
Field Training Officer Michael Chicca and Officer Justin DeSilva were patrolling near State Road at approximately 2:58 p.m. when they spotted a grey GMC Sierra driven by Darren Moran, known to have a suspended license and three active warrants out of New Bedford District Court.
When Officer DeSilva attempted a traffic stop by activating the cruiser’s emergency lights, Moran made a U-turn and fled east on State Road, prompting a pursuit.
Moran maneuvered through a liquor store parking lot, ran a stop sign, drove briefly in the opposite lane, and crossed a median before returning to the westbound lane.
Officer Jean Lopez joined the pursuit, and Moran eventually abandoned his vehicle in the parking lot of Westport Tire at 718 State Road, fleeing on foot into nearby woods.
The Westport Police Drone Unit and Massachusetts State Police K-9 Unit assisted in the search, while Lieutenant Bryan McCarthy, Sergeants Ryan Nickelson and Jarrod Levesque, and Detective Luis Vertentes investigated Moran’s residence at 758A State Road.
Moran was found standing in a shed in the backyard of his residence and was taken into custody without further incident.
He was booked at the Westport Police Station and held without bail pending his court arraignment today.
