A police cruiser with two detectives inside was hit by a stolen vehicle in Meriden Thursday and six people have since been taken into custody, according to city officials.
Meriden police said the accident happened on South Broad Street after a daylong crime spree in the city and the surrounding area.
The stolen vehicle was allegedly involved in three armed robberies across the state, and police said the suspects drove toward officers and civilians head-on in an earlier incident.
One of the armed robberies happened on Franklin Street in Torrington. Police said a woman and her young child were walking through a parking lot when a man wearing a mask approached them, pulled out a gun and demanded her purse.
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The man fled the scene in a car with several others inside, according to authorities. A witness followed the car and was able to provide identifying information to police. The car was reportedly stolen out of Darien.
Earlier in the day, officers found three stolen vehicles with suspects inside at Hubbard Park in Meriden. As officers approached, the suspects allegedly lit one car on fire and fled in the other two.
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Then, one of the stolen cars crashed into a police cruiser, ultimately leading to the arrest of six people - two adults and four minors, according to police.
The extent of the detectives' injuries wasn't immediately available. Officers said two handguns were found in the stolen car.
An earlier social media post from the city said several people were taken into custody during a police investigation in the area.
City officials said there is an active police investigation in the area of South Broad Terrace at Green Road and Gypsy Lane.
The investigation remains ongoing.
