'Armed, Dangerous Suspect' Accused Of Dragging MA Trooper In Custody In CT: Police

STAMFORD, CT — A man, who police said should be considered "armed and dangerous," was taken into custody in Stamford late Wednesday.

Mason Payne, 23, is accused of being connected to a "violent domestic dispute" in Dover, Vermont and then fleeing through Massachusetts where he dragged a trooper several feet with his car, authorities said.

On Aug. 20, the Stamford Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit learned that Payne was possibly hiding in Stamford after eluding capture in both Vermont and Massachusetts, police said.

Narcotics detectives learned that Payne was staying at The Red Carpet Inn. At about 5 p.m. Wednesday, members of the Stamford Police Special Response Team, with the assistance of the Bridgeport Police Emergency Service Unit and the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team, located the suspect at the hotel and safely took him into custody, police said.

A subsequent search of the hotel room and his vehicle resulted in the recovery of two firearms, police added.

This investigation remains active and ongoing, police said.

Original post: MASSACHUSETTS — Police urge residents to be on the lookout for an "armed and dangerous suspect" who may have fled from Vermont through Massachusetts and into Connecticut this week.

In a social media post Wednesday afternoon, police in Shelton, Conn., shared information from Vermont and Massachusetts authorities regarding "a fleeing suspect who may have traveled into Connecticut and possibly in the New Haven County [or] Fairfield County area."

The suspect was identified by authorities as Mason Payne, 23, and his vehicle was described as an older black Audi sedan, possibly with temporary Vermont plates.

According to authorities, Vermont State Police received a report Tuesday around 5 p.m. of a domestic assault involving a weapon in Dover, Vt.

Later that evening around 10 p.m., Payne was stopped by a Massachusetts State Trooper on Interstate 91 in Holyoke, Mass., authorities said.

During the stop, Payne dragged the trooper several feet with his vehicle before fleeing the area, according to authorities.

The pursuit was terminated for safety reasons, according to authorities.

Authorities noted Payne is "considered armed and dangerous and has made threats to harm law enforcement officers."

Anyone who sees Payne or his vehicle is urged not to approach him and to call 911 immediately and provide as many details as possible.

"Officer safety is paramount, stay alert," authorities noted in the BOLO alert.