Man Crashes Into Police Cruisers While Trying to Flee From Officers

A Waterbury man crashed into two police cruisers while trying to avoid a motor vehicle stop Tuesday night.

Police said they tried pulling over 20-year-old Willie Rodriguez in connection to recent weapons, narcotics and quality of life-related complaints in the Knollwood Circle area.

When police tried stopping Rodriguez, he allegedly accelerated and reversed, hitting two police cruisers before coming to a stop. He was taken into custody shortly after.

Investigators said they found a loaded automatic long rifle inside Rodriguez's car. He doesn't have a valid pistol permit, according to officials.

He faces charges including criminal mischief, criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, reckless driving, interfering with an officer's signal and more. He also had seven failure to appear warrants for missing court dates regarding a prior arrest, police said.

Waterbury Police said Rodriguez has been arrested 19 times for 56 different charges and nine pending cases. He was held on a $686,000 bond and appeared in court Wednesday.