Man Arrested On I-84 Following Shooting Threats, Car Chase: Police

FARMINGTON, CT — A man was arrested on Wednesday after he threatened to shoot a woman, police officers and people at Westfarms mall, Hartford police said.

Officers responded to a Hartford home on Wednesday after a woman reported that her ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old Mohammad Nizami of Wethersfield, was texting her pictures of a firearm from outside of her apartment door, Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.

Police didn't find Nizami at the woman's home, but she showed officers the photos he had sent her and the firearm looked real, Boisvert said.

When police contacted Nizami, he threatened to shoot officers and told them he was going to the Westfarms mall to shoot people there as well, Boisvert said.

Officers then spotted his car near the woman's home and watched it drive onto I-84 westbound. Nizami refused to pull over when police tried to conduct a traffic stop, and a pursuit ensued.

During the chase, officers used a "stop stick" tire deflation device on Nizami's car, which then crashed through a guardrail on the highway, Boisvert said.

Though Nizami appeared to be uninjured, he was brought to the hospital as a precaution, Boisvert said.

Nizami was also taken into custody and charged with first-degree threatening, second-degree stalking, second-degree harassment, reckless driving, engaging police in a pursuit, reckless endangerment and interfering with police.

No officers or civilians were injured in the incident, Boisvert said.