Connecticut Bantamweight Fighter Involved In Pursuit Spanning 3 Counties, Several Towns

HOOKSETT, NH — A man from Connecticut was taken into custody at gunpoint on the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Hooksett campus after a high-speed pursuit spanning three counties and several towns Tuesday.

New State Police Troopers assigned to the Troop A barracks received “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) information from the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office just after 6 p.m. regarding a vehicle whose driver fled from an attempted traffic stop by the Lee Police Department. Before running from police in Lee, the driver had also caused a crash resulting in property damage in Rochester and left the scene.

Minutes later, Trooper Matthew Dushame observed the vehicle from the BOLO, a black 2000 Mercedes ML320, traveling south on Route 125 in Epping. The trooper attempted to stop the Mercedes, but the driver continued at a high rate of speed and exhibited erratic operation, eventually going onto Route 101 westbound and Interstate 93 northbound according to state police.

The pursuit ended on the campus of SNHU when the driver of the Mercedes reached a dead-end road, the driver then ran off into a wooded area. Troopers, with the assistance of several law enforcement agencies, established a perimeter and began searching for the suspect with the assistance of the State Police Canine Unit and State Police UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Unit.

During the ongoing search, SNHU notified campus community members of the police activity and issued a shelter-in-place alert.

At approximately 8 p.m., Troopers located the suspect in a wooded area next to East Side Drive in Hooksett and deployed a K9. The suspect, who was determined to be unarmed, was taken into custody and identified as Michael J. Delucco, 23, of Cromwell, CT.

Following processing, Delucco was held in preventative detention at the Rockingham County House of Corrections pending a scheduled appearance in Brentwood District Court today, June 12.

Multiple units and partner agencies assisted Troop A with the pursuit and ensuing investigation, including members of Troop B, Troop D, the Canine Unit and UAS Unit within the State Police; the Manchester Police Department, Hooksett Police Department, Candia Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Lee Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Hooksett Fire-Rescue Department.

According to posts online, Delucco is a bantamweight fighter.

All aspects of the incident remain under investigation by Trooper Matthew Dushame. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Dushame via email at Matthew.T.Dushame@DOS.NH.GOV.