CANAJOHARIE - Village and Fort Plain police fired several shots during an arrest on Thanksgiving when police said a drunk driver tried to run down an officer with a minivan.
Earl R. Wilcox, 19, of Palatine Bridge was arrested Nov. 26 at 12:45 a.m. and charged with unsafe start, passing a red signal, reckless driving, speeding, driving while intoxicated with a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content or greater and aggravated DWI with a 0.18 percent or greater blood-alcohol content.
Wilcox was also charged with two counts of third-degree criminal mischief and one count of first-degree reckless endangerment - all felonies - when he rammed two police vehicles and tried to run down a police officer with the minivan, said village Police Chief William Beevers.
Police also charged Wilcox with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, which authorities said he took from a family member without permission, and third-degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer, both misdemeanors, Beevers said.
Village police said they first observed Wilcox committing traffic violations on Erie Boulevard, where he was driving west 80 mph in a 30 mph speed zone, when he drove into Fort Plain.
At that point, village police continued to pursue Wilcox and called Fort Plain police to notify them of the drunk driver.
As police tried to stop Wilcox on River Street in Fort Plain, he used the 2004 Dodge Caravan to ram the front of a Canajoharie police vehicle and the passenger side of a Fort Plain police vehicle, causing about $4,000 worth of damage, Beevers said.
After that, Wilcox tried to run down a Canajoharie police officer with his minivan, police said. Fort Plain and Canajoharie police then fired several shots at the minivan's tires "in an effort to stop his actions," Beevers said. Beevers would not say exactly how many officers responded or how many shots were fired because an investigation is pending.
Police shot both passenger-side tires, but Wilcox was able to drive the vehicle about three-quarters of a mile up the road to Groff Road, where he was ultimately stopped and arrested without further incident, Beevers said.
No one was injured during the five-minute pursuit, Beevers said.
The minivan was impounded and the owner is pressing charges against Wilcox, police said.
He was sent to the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $25,000 property bond.
"Every now and then, policeman have to make that decision [to draw a weapon], and that decision was made this time," said village Mayor Leigh Fuller. "I saw nothing wrong with their decision."
Thanksgiving marked the first time in seven years one of the 13 village police officers fired shots in an arrest.