Man Steals Car With Help of Sister, Tries to Murder Victim: Cops

Hartford police have arrested two siblings accused of trying to murder a man and stealing his car, prompting a police chase that briefly put a Hartford magnet school on lock-in mode Tuesday morning.

Police said Brian Perry, 23, a convicted felon from Meriden, stole the man's car at gunpoint outside 123-125 Martin Street a little after 8 a.m. and tried to fire several rounds into the victim's chest.

The victim told police he was picking up a friend – Perry's sister – when Perry approached him in the driveway and ordered him out of the car. After he got out, Perry pointed the gun at the victim and pulled the trigger several times, police said.

The gun didn't go off, so Perry loaded a second round into the chamber. The victim, who feared for his life, started running. Perry chased him for a while and tried again to shoot him, according to police. Officers later found a live .22-caliber round at the scene.

Meanwhile, Perry's sister, identified as Paula Brown, 25, got into the driver's seat of the stolen Nissan Versa and picked up Perry. The victim's dog, King, had been riding in the car with him and jumped out, according to police.

Hartford officers from the department's Traffic Division spotted the Nissan driving southbound on Main Street. Police said they chased the car from Main Street to Mather Street, then onto East Street and into a parking lot on Seyms Street.

Officers tried to block the car into the parking lot. Perry, who was now alone in the driver's seat, sped away through the city. Police said he hit a curb while turning from Walnut Street onto Edwards Street, causing the car to grind to a stop.

Perry got out and started running toward the parking lot of the Global Communications Academy magnet school and Quirk Middle School on Edwards Street. Police said the schools share a campus with the Hartford Police Shooting Task Force and Hartford Police Academy.

"Especially when anybody approaches our schools, we're going to double down, but to have our officers waiting there, it certainly helped," Foley said.

As police chased him, Perry pulled a gun from his waistband. He tripped and dropped it in the parking lot, according to police. Officers took him into custody soon after. The magnet school was put in lock-in mode for about 35 minutes during the chase.

Police found the victim's dog hiding under a car behind the Hartford Police Department and returned him to his owner.

Perry has been charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal attempt at murder, carjacking, first-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle, engaging police in pursuit, reckless driving, second-degree criminal trover, sixth-degree larceny, interfering with police and conspiracy charges.

Brown was taken into custody on Huyshope Avenue, with help from the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force. She was charged with carjacking, first-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, sixth-degree larceny, second-degree criminal trover and conspiracy charges.

Police said Perry, who has 11 prior arrests in Hartford, is being held on $800,000 bond. Brown, who has been previously arrested in Hartford seven times, was held on $250,000 bond.

No one was hurt during the incident.

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