Man, 72, arrested after assaulting fire fighter, crashing into Yarmouth cruiser

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armourYARMOUTH – The Yarmouth Police Department reports that on Tuesday at approximately 3:45 p.m. Patrol Officers Mark Noone, Melissa Alden and Albert Sprague were dispatched to Union Street and Route 6A for a report of a man in a vehicle slumped over the steering wheel and unresponsive.

When offivers arrived they observed Yarmouth Fire Department personnel treating an older male who was still seated in the driver’s seat of the 2001 Jaguar XJ8.

As Patrol Officer Noone walked to his cruiser to provide dispatch with the man’s name and date of birth, he looked up to see the Fire Department’s laptop computer tumbling off the roof of the Jaguar and a Yarmouth Fire Department firefighter jumping back from the car. The man had suddenly started his vehicle and was driving away.

Patrol Officer Noone got into his cruiser and blocked the suspect from going onto Route 6A. The suspect vehicle turned right and went up onto the grassy corner of the intersection. Patrol Officer Noone continued to use his cruiser as a shield and stayed next to him as he then drove down off of the grass and onto paved parking spaces that run along the south side of the extremely busy state highway.

According to the Yarmouth Police Department, Patrol Officer Noone repeatedly sounded the cruiser sirens and air horn, kept his emergency blue lights flashing and was yelling at the driver to stop his car. Instead of stopping, the suspect attempted to force his car onto Route 6A by crashing it into the passenger side of the cruiser with his driver’s side.

Patrol Officer Noone decided to turn his cruiser back into the suspect vehicle. This action angled them both off the road and brought the situation to an end.

Once they both were stopped, Patrol Officer Noone exited his cruiser and went to the passenger side of the Jaguar. The door was locked and the windows were up. Patrol Officer Noone ordered the suspect to open the door but the suspect refused and yelled several profanities instead.

After several demands for him to open his car doors were refused, Patrol Officer Sprague broke the window and took the keys out of the ignition. The suspect— Rodney Armour, 72, of Provincetown (photo at right above)—was ordered out through the passenger side, and was placed in handcuffs and under arrest (see photo below).

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A subsequent computerized search of the suspect discovered that he had a revoked driver’s license and three outstanding warrants—one from the Barnstable District Court and two from the Orleans District Court—for his arrest. The Barnstable District Court warrant is for Larceny by Check.

The two Orleans District Court warrants include the following charges: operating a motor vehicle with suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, OUI drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stay within marked lanes, and failure to stop for police.

The suspect was brought to Yarmouth Police Department Headquarters for processing. When he arrived, he complained of chest pain and was transported to Cape Cod Hospital by Yarmouth Fire Department ambulance for evaluation. He was held under guard at the hospital and subsequently returned to Yarmouth Police Department Headquarters several hours later and held overnight.

Yarmouth Police Officers transported him to the Barnstable District Court for arraignment Wednesday morning. In addition to the existing outstanding warrants, the suspect is being charged with six additional charges by the Yarmouth Police Department: operating a motor vehicle with license revoked, assault and battery while armed with a dangerous weapon (2001 Jaguar), operating a motor vehicle negligently so as to endanger, assault on ambulance personnel; OUI liquor; and failure to stop for police.

The Yarmouth Police Department cruiser was heavily damaged and is not operational.

Yarmouth Deputy Police Chief Steven Xiarhos said, “The Yarmouth Police Department commends the quick thinking actions of Patrol Officers Noone, Sprague and Alden. We are fortunate and grateful that none of the first responders or members of the public were injured by illegal and dangerous actions of suspect who has 90 prior criminal charges in Massachusetts and a long list of previous motor vehicle violations.”

Media release and booking photo provided by the Yarmouth Police Department; Photos by CWN associate John P. Carroll

 

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