Two suspects — boys ages 16 and 17 — were arrested while two other suspects remain at large, police said.
TRENTON — A police officer was injured after a car with four occupants suspected in an armed robbery in Chambersburg rammed two police cars after a dangerous pursuit through the North and West wards on Saturday afternoon, police said.
Two of the suspects — boys ages 16 and 17 — were arrested after the car stopped on Wayne Avenue and the occupants fled. Two other suspects remain at large, police said.
A handgun was found in the trunk of the car involved in the chase, which had been reported stolen in the city, Lt. Steve Varn said.
One officer suffered a hand injury when the suspect’s car struck the officer’s marked police vehicle at a high rate of speed, Varn said.
“The suspect vehicle crossed in an attempt to ram the police vehicle head-on,” Varn said.
The officer was able to maneuver the police vehicle to deflect some of the impact, and the suspect’s car swerved around the rear of the police vehicle and continued down the street against traffic. The second ramming incident left no one injured.
At 1:45 p.m., a robbery at gunpoint on the first block of Franklin Street was reported to police. Officers were able to get a description of the vehicle in which the suspects fled. At 2:50 p.m., Officer Drew Astbury spotted the car headed north on Pennington Avenue toward Calhoun Street. On Oakland Street, Astbury attempted to pull the suspects over.
“The vehicle and occupants disregarded the officers’ attempt to pull them over and led officers on a pursuit,” Varn said.
Accelerating to a high rate of speed, the suspects disregarded at least one red light on Stuyvesant Avenue, turned into Parkside Avenue, then to Parkway Avenue, down to East Ingham Avenue, from Bismarck Avenue onto Calhoun Street, across Southard Street to Rossell Avenue and onto North Willow Street, from North Willow to Paul Avenue and West Paul Avenue, to Calhoun back to Ingham and onto Wainwright Avenue, Varn said.
The suspects abandoned the car on Wayne Avenue, but left the vehicle in drive. Astbury was able to hop in and place the car in park. The suspects fled in all different directions, and the 16-year-old and 17-year-old boys were arrested after some resistance. They received juvenile petitions for two counts of aggravated assault on police, two counts of robbery with a firearm, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, eluding, receiving stolen property, and resisting arrest.
Descriptions for the two suspects who escaped were not available tonight.
Contact Alex Zdan at azdan@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5705.
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