Man Crashes Car, Arrested After Conn. Police Chase

Feb. 28--BRIDGEPORT -- A 30-year-old city man ran from a police dog, jumped into his girlfriend's car and sped off on Sunday afternoon because he didn't want to go back to prison, police said.

After he was able to get into the car, barely escaping the bite of the barking K-9, Eric Rivas, of Barnum Avenue, repeatedly rammed a police cruiser that tried to box him in and then led officers on a high-speed chase around the city's East Side.

Rivas eventually crashed his car on Berkshire Avenue near Noble Avenue. He was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, engaging police in pursuit and driving without a license. He was held on $5,000 bond on those charges.

The two passengers in his car were not hurt. They told police they asked Rivas to stop the car multiple times, but they said he was acting crazy and kept saying he wouldn't go back to jail.

According to the police incident report, Rivas was spotted by officers on Arctic Street near Hallet Street around 4:50 p.m. The K-9 officer told Rivas to stop or the dog would bite him. Rivas narrowly escaped from the dog, jumping into the front seat of a white Honda Civic.

Rivas, chased by two police cruisers, sped down Arctic Street onto Caroline Street and ran the red light at East Main Street, nearly causing a crash, as two other cruisers joined the pursuit. He ended up running multiple stop signs and after driving down Barnum Avenue to Harriet Street and onto Williams Street, where the K-9 officer struck another vehicle, disabling his cruiser. He was not injured.

Rivas was apprehended by another K-9 unit after crashing on Berkshire Avenue. The two passengers in the car were not charged.

Rivas was held on $85,000 bond for the two felony warrants issued for failure to appear in court on Nov. 23, 2011.

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