The man accused of damaging multiple cruisers after leading police on chase Tuesday morning in Everett, Massachusetts, faced a judge on Wednesday.
Dennis R. Penney, 40 of Dorchester, was taken into custody after allegedly fleeing from a Massachusetts State Police lieutenant and leading troopers on a chase that ended in front of the Encore Boston Harbor Casino. According to prosecutors, Penney admitted to using methamphetamines leading up to the incident.
Penney was booked after he was released from Massachusetts General Hospital around 1 a.m. Wednesday. He was held at the Massachusetts State Police barracks in Revere overnight and arraigned in Chelsea District Court Wednesday morning.
Penney has pleaded not guilty to assault and motor vehicle charges, as well as narcotics charges. He was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing next week.
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Penney is accused of striking a total of three Massachusetts State Police cruisers, one of them more than once, as well as a Chelsea police cruiser, during the chase. He also hit at least one civilian car. No injuries were reported.
Penney fled from Copeland Circle in Revere onto Route 1 southbound, and onto Carter Street, Everett Avenue, Williams Street, and Beacham Street in Chelsea. He continued onto Route 99 in Everett and ultimately onto the casino property, where police apprehended him.
The incident began shortly after 7 a.m., state police said, when a trooper checked on a "possibly emotionally disturbed person" outside a car on the ramp from Route 60 to Route 1 south in Revere.
Penney allegedly got back into the car and drove onto Route 1 south. A second cruiser responded to help try to stop the car.
Penney, who was driving an Infiniti QZ60 SUV, refused to stop, and state police began a pursuit. The SUV hit a car and then exited on to Carter Street, at which point state police stopped chasing him.
The SUV then drove down a dead-end street and cruisers responded to the area in an attempt to box in the car. Penney evaded officers and continued to flee, police said, hitting three state police cruisers and a Chelsea cruiser. State police initially reported that an Everett police cruiser was also struck in the chase, but later corrected that it was not.
A short time later, the SUV entered the grounds of the Encore casino, at which point the Penney got out of the car tried and to fight several troopers, police said. Prosecutors said Penney threatened to shoot and kill those troopers, but his attorney disputed this, saying his client was asking police to shoot him.
One trooper used a taser on him and then took him into custody.
No further information was immediately available.
