BELLEVILLE, NJ — A man wanted in New Jersey after a Belleville police officer was struck by a vehicle during a Sunday night traffic stop was arrested in Connecticut early Monday, according to state police.
Authorities said the suspect was found about 100 miles away, in New Britain, and taken into custody around 2 a.m. The arrest came after a tense and confusing scene near Branch Brook Park, where police said officers tried to stop the driver and the encounter escalated quickly.
Officials have not released the suspect’s name. They also have not said what led up to the traffic stop or what prompted the driver to flee.
Traffic stop near Branch Brook Park turns violent
The confrontation unfolded Sunday around 8 p.m. near Branch Brook Park in the area of Mill Street and Union Avenue. Belleville Mayor Frank Vélez said two officers were involved in the stop when one of them was hit by the vehicle as police attempted to apprehend the driver.
Vélez said one officer then fired a weapon after the other officer was struck, and the suspect sped away from the scene. The mayor described the officer’s injuries as not believed to be life-threatening.
Neighbors and bystanders soon saw a heavy police response build around the area. The rapid escalation left residents trying to understand what had happened as officers secured the scene.
Police search led to New Britain overnight
Connecticut State Police said troopers located the suspect’s vehicle in New Britain and moved in overnight. By early Monday, officials said the driver had been taken into custody.
The arrest suggests the suspect crossed state lines after the incident in Belleville, though authorities have not publicly detailed the route or said whether the stop in Connecticut happened near the woman’s home mentioned in initial reporting. Police have only confirmed that the arrest took place in New Britain.
The distance between the two locations underscores how quickly the search widened after the officer was struck and the driver fled. State police have not announced any additional suspects.
Mayor says officer was hurt but not seriously
Vélez said the injured officer’s wounds were not believed to be life-threatening. That update was one of the first clear details officials shared after the chaotic scene near the park.
The mayor’s statement also confirmed that an officer discharged a firearm during the encounter. Officials have not said whether anyone was hit by gunfire, and they have not described the condition of the officer who fired the weapon.
At the scene, police activity grew quickly as officers responded to what witnesses described as a sudden and frightening confrontation. The incident left the neighborhood with more questions than answers through the night.
Witness described a car hitting an officer and shots following
One person who said he heard about the event from a friend gave a similar account of the violence. David Vazquez of Newark said his friend told him he saw an officer run over by a car and then heard gunfire.
Vazquez said bullets appeared to strike his friend’s car, breaking windows. His description matched the broader picture shared by officials: an attempted stop, an officer hit by a vehicle, and shots fired during the suspect’s escape.
While witness accounts can fill in some of the public’s gaps during a fast-moving scene, police have not fully detailed the sequence of events. The investigation into exactly what happened during the stop remains open.
What investigators have not said yet
Police have not identified the suspect, outlined possible charges, or said whether the Connecticut arrest will lead to extradition back to New Jersey. They also have not explained why the driver was in the Belleville area that night.
Officials have not released information about the vehicle’s make or model, and they have not said whether the suspect was alone when the stop occurred. Those details may emerge as investigators piece together the timeline of the Sunday night encounter.
For now, the key developments are clear: an officer was hit during a traffic stop near Branch Brook Park, the suspect fled, and Connecticut troopers arrested the driver hours later in New Britain.
