Andover police arrested a driver Monday, Oct. 19, after a three-hour chase and search through woods near Campanelli Drive.
The incident began shortly after 11:30 a.m. when an officer stopped a vehicle on River Road for speeding, according to Lt. Frank Fitzpatrick of the Andover Police Department, as first reported by Andover News. The officer approached the driver and asked for his license and registration.
"The male then quickly put the vehicle in drive and pulled away from the officer at a high rate of speed," Fitzpatrick said.
The driver turned onto Campanelli Drive, abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot into a wooded area near the office park, Fitzpatrick said.
The search
Officers established a perimeter around the wooded areas near American Training, which has corporate offices at 6 Campanelli Drive, the New England Business Center and the Shawsheen River, according to police radio transmissions cited by Andover News. Officers searched on foot while a K-9 unit and drones were deployed to help locate the driver.
Police also stationed officers near several businesses and a school in the area. School personnel were asked to keep people inside as a precaution during the search, according to radio transmissions.
The initial K-9 search ended without locating the man shortly after 1:20 p.m.
Arrest
At about 2:49 p.m., staff at American Training reported that a man had emerged from the woods near Campanelli Drive. Officers responded. Shortly before 3 p.m., police took a man into custody.
"The male was later located and taken into custody without issue," Fitzpatrick said.
Police continued interviewing witnesses and reviewing information at American Training before clearing the area shortly before 4 p.m. The incident lasted more than three hours from the initial traffic stop to the arrest.
No one was injured.
The man faces several motor vehicle-related charges in Lawrence District Court, Fitzpatrick said. Police did not immediately provide his identity or specify the charges.
