A West Haven man tried to steal a fire truck on Wednesday evening and firefighters detained him until police arrived, according to police.
Police officers responded to the 300 block of Main Street at 5:40 p.m. Wednesday and firefighters said they were inside a home for a medical call when they heard the sirens from the parked fire truck.
When they looked at the truck, they saw 63-year-old Wayne Gagne sitting inside the cab of the truck, police said.
“To actually come out and find somebody in your engine it’s kind of a scary thing,” Deputy Chief Scott Swartz said.
Firefighters removed Gagne from the truck when they found him standing on a button that activates the siren.
“They actually pulled him out of the cab and held him until the police department got there, so he didn’t move the engine, it’s a little more difficult to move the engine, there’s a lot more moving parts then just getting in and putting it in drive,” Schwartz said.
Gagne had a large hunting knife with an 8-inch blade and was charged with criminal attempt to commit larceny in the first degree and possession of a dangerous weapon. He was held on bond.
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It’s not clear if he has an attorney.
The fire department said it will most likely change protocols following the incident: either the driver stays in the engine or firefighters take an extra second to lock the door to the front cab.
