Suspect in custody after trooper struck along I-91 north in Holyoke

HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – A Massachusetts State Police Officer was injured in the line of duty Friday, leading to a three-hour-long manhunt for the suspect.

Around 3 o’clock Friday afternoon, a Massachusetts State Trooper was hit and dragged by a car during an attempted traffic stop at a rest stop in Holyoke.

The trooper was able to set himself free from the vehicle but was injured in the process, he was taken by stretcher to the hospital.

The suspect ran off into the woods after crashing the car shortly after striking the officer.

For hours, state and local police searched the wooded area between I-91 and Route 5.

During their search, Bill Sutter heard a knock on his door.

“An unmarked police officer stopped at the house and knocked on the door. He told me to be careful and to make sure everything was locked up because there was a manhunt going on,” said Sutter.

Sutter, who has two boats and a couple of trailers in his yard, quickly became nervous that his property could be a target for the suspect at large.

“The rest area is actually a half of a mile through the woods to my house. ‘cause I live right there. I said to myself, it’s very easy for him to come down from there. You don’t know what this wild man is going to do, you don’t know if he’s armed with something, they don’t know he just took off.”

But luckily, Sutter did not have any unwanted guests on his property, instead, it was the state police’s K-9 unit more specifically, Roxy, who was able to finally locate the suspect.

The arrest was caught on camera, where you can see the suspect being taken into custody by police officers.

In the meantime, Sutter wants to thank the police for looking out for him.

“I just want to thank them for their duties. It’s pretty good that they take care of and look after me, he must know that I’m an elderly gentleman and I live here!” said Sutter.

In a statement Massachusetts State Police says they have identified the suspect and listed the charges against him, it reads:

The suspect is identified as MICHAEL J. WILLIAMS Jr., 45, of Greenfield. He was charged with the following offenses:

1. Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon;
2. Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle;
3. Operating After License was Suspended for Prior OUI offense;
4. Leaving the Scene of a Crash that Caused Personal Injury;
5. Failure to Stop for Police;
6. Speeding;
7. Marked Lanes Violation; and
8. Resisting Arrest.

WILLIAMS is being held without bail for a violation of conditions of his probation from a previous conviction. He will be arraigned Monday in Northampton District Court.

The trooper was transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton for a lower-body injury. After which he was treated and then released.

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