MA Man Tries To Fight Officers After Hitting Cruisers In Chase: Police

EVERETT, MA — A man was taken into custody in front of Encore Boston Harbor Casino after officers say he crashed into several police cruisers during a chase through part of the North Shore on Tuesday morning.

Dennis R. Penney, 40 of Dorchester, was arrested and is expected to face assault and motor vehicle charges, as well as narcotics charges. Police say he is expected to be booked once he is released from the hospital.

Just after 7 a.m., a trooper stopped to check on a "possibly emotionally disturbed person" - later identified as Penney, who was outside an Infiniti SUV on the ramp from Route 60 to Route 1 south in Revere, police said.

Once the trooper approached the Penney, they say he got into the SUV and began to flee, driving onto Route 1 south and prompting a second cruiser to assist.

State police began to chase after the SUV, watching the driver hit a car before it exited Route 1 onto Carter Street.

Police say the SUV then drove down a dead-end street, prompting multiple cruisers to get to the area as a way to box in and stop the driver.

Instead of complying, police say Penney continued to take off, hitting three state police cruisers, a Chelsea police cruiser, and multiple cars on the road as he went. State police first reported that an Everett police cruiser was also struck in the chase, but later corrected that it was not.

Eventually, cruisers followed the SUV to the grounds of the Encore casino in Everett when they say the driver got out of the car and tried to fight a few troopers. One officer was able to use a Taser on Penney, who was then taken to the hospital for an evaluation with troopers following.

As of 9:15 a.m., there was no word on the extent of the damage, and police have not yet said if anyone was injured in the chase.

The investigation remains ongoing and no further information was immediately available.