Man Rammed Cruiser, Led Tri-City Chase June 5

WARWICK, RI — A Warwick man led police on a tri-city chase through Warwick, Cranston and Providence at 70 mph at times, reverse – rammed a cruiser before officers stopped him at Rhode Island Hospital June 5.

Officer Connor Bemis was driving south on Post Road near Hollywood Avenue at 1:37 a.m. that morning when he spotted a blue Dodge Durango headed south on Post Road going about 50 mph in the 35 mph zone. He also saw the SUV’s tires cross the white dotted line into the right-hand lane. He turned his cruiser around and attempted to catch up, according to the officer’s report.

The Durango made a last-minute turn, with turn signal, onto Atlantic Avenue, where it proceeded west while in the east-bound lane, and Bemis turned on his siren and lights to make a traffic stop. The SUV slowly rolled to a stop at the intersection of Atlantic and Warwick Avenues.

Bemis stopped and exited his cruiser, then approached the driver’s side, recognizing George Andrews, 53, of 405 Beach Ave., Warwick, RI, from “numerous previous contacts,” according to the officer’s report.

Andrews stared ahead blankly, and ignored Bemis’s orders to shut off and exit the vehicle, leading the officer to suspect he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Andrews suddenly began looking around the SUV’s interior, then accelerated away, heading north on Warwick Avenue at a “high rate of speed,” according to the report.

Bemis got back into his cruiser and pursued Andrews with lights and sirens running, with little to no traffic at the time, according to his report. Andrews led him along Warwick Avenue at 40 mph, right onto Post Road at the poste 35 mph limit, then 60 mph in the area of Fair Street.

Andrews ran a red light at the Narragansett Parkway intersection, turning left onto Narragansett Parkway at 40 mph, accelerating to 70 mph across the Cranston City line, where the road led to Broad Street, passing Sefton Drive, according to the report.

Andrews attempted to turn left onto Arnold Avenue and struck a utility pole at the corner of the intersection. Bemis stopped his cruiser 10 ft. behind the SUV to perform a “felony car stop,” according to the report, but Andrewws quickly accelerated in reverse, ramming Bemis’s cruiser.

Bemis reported his cruiser shook from the impact, but he was not injured. Andrews, having created enough room to drive, continued on Andrews Avenue, with Bemis following, radioing to dispatch about Andrews; ramming maneuver. Andrews turned left onto Narragansett Boulevard, driving east at 40 mph, his SUV smoking heavily.

Andrews turned right onto Broad Street, then right again onto Northup Street, heading the wrong way, east, down the one-way road, at 30 mph. It turned right onto Narragansett Boulevard as Officer Matarese pulled behind Bemis, taking over radio reports about the chase as Bemis continued pursuit.

Two Providence Police cruisers joined the pursuit, and Bemis took over radio reports, moving to third in position in the chase as Andrews turned onto Friendship Street at 20 mph, then left onto Providence Street at 15 mph. Andrews turned left onto Dudley Street at 15 mph, accelerated to 30 mph, then right onto Eddy Street next to Rhode Island Hospital, then pulled over, ending the tri-city chase.

Providence Police took Andrews into custody, who resisted arrest but was subdued without incident, according to the report. During his arrest, Bemis noted Andrews had bloodshot eyes and dilated pupils, indicating a stimulant drug. He was placed into a Providence Police cruiser by Providence Police, where he caused extensive damage to the interior, according to the report, including smashing his head multiple times on the inside, causing several lacerations to his head.

Providence Police transported Andrews to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he refused to submit to a chemical test of his blood alcohol content.

A search of Andrews turned up a bank card reported stolen and $548 in cash, suspected to have been withdrawn using the card, according to the report. The owner of the card told police he wanted to press charges against Andrews.

Andrews was taken to Kent County Memorial Hospital to have his head wounds treated, during which he told an officer he’d been fleeing police because he was high on drugs. Andrews was released from the hospital and transported back to WPD HQ, where he was charged with DUI, blood alcohol content unknown, first offense, eluding an officer in a high-speed chase, receiving stolen goods, and also cited for driving with a suspended license, and refusing a chemical test of his blood alcohol content.

Cranston Police, upon interviewing Bemis about Andrews’ ramming his cruiser, informed the officer they would also charge Andrews for the ramming incident in the tri-city chase.

Andrews is due in Third District Court Aug. 5 for a pretrial conference for the Warwick charges. He is also due in court Aug. 7 for the Cranston Police charge for leaving the scene of a crash resulting in damage.