Man wanted for alleged assault of officer arrested in West Hartford

A man who was wanted on a felony warrant out of Massachusetts on charges of allegedly assaulting a police officer was arrested in West Hartford on Thursday.

At 2:14 p.m. Thursday, members of the West Hartford Police Department’s Community Support Unit spotted a vehicle registered to 42-year-old Michael Martin of East Hartford, who had an active extraditable felony warrant out of Massachusetts, according to the West Hartford Police Department.

Community Support Unit members tried to pull over the vehicle as it entered Interstate 84 East, but Martin refused to stop. West Hartford police deployed tire deflation devices, flattening three out of four tires on Martin’s vehicles, police said.

Martin’s vehicle came to a stop near Sisson Avenue, but Martin still refused to get out of the vehicle until he was “forcibly removed,” according to police.

In his vehicle, police allegedly found cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and drug packaging equipment, police said.

Martin was arrested as a fugitive from justice. The warrant he was wanted on charges him with assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, failure to stop for the police and reckless operation with a motor vehicle, according to police.

Martin is now facing additional charges stemming from the incident in West Hartford, including possession with intent to sell narcotics, possession of a controlled substance second offense, interfering with a police officer, engaging in a police pursuit, reckless driving, illegal tints and failure to wear a seatbelt, police said.

He was being held on a total bond of $700,000 — $500,000 stemming from the warrant and an additional $250,000 on the new charges, according to police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203 or use the department’s tip line at 860-570-8969 or whpdtips@westhartfordct.gov.