Man Charged With Crashing into Police Car, Assaulting Cops

An 18-year-old man was arrested Thursday night after he crashed his motorcycle into a police cruiser, then lunged into the window of the police car, attempting to assault the police officer. He was wearing a bandana to cover his face. When another officer attempted to pull the man from the window, he bit the officer on the hand, police said.

After the crash, the man arrested was identified as Gino Vella, who was charged with assault on a peace officer, a ​“C” felony, and was held in $50,000 bond until his court hearing in New Haven Superior Court Friday morning. Police are seeking a third young man as yet unidentified who joined Vella on a wild ride that ended when Vella went head-on into the front of the police car.
 

The police also arrested Vella’s father, Anthony, 55. Both live at 30 Brookwood Drive in the Brushy Plains section of town. Police said Anthony Vella and another juvenile attempted to come to Gino’s aide and were taken into custody as well. According to land records, the house is owned by Cynthia B. Carlson. 

Life in the Hood

For the folks who live in this neighborhood this was nothing new. Vella and a group of his friends have a long history of tumultuous, noisy bike riding activity in the area, often driving their bikes on lawns. Police are often called to intervene. So it was no surprise when police were again summoned to the area on a sunny day when everyone was outside. Paramedics from the Fire Department were also summoned.

The wild ride and its aftermath began about 6 p.m., Capt. Geoffrey Morgan said, when police were notified that two motorcyclists were ​“operating recklessly” southbound on Brushy Plain Road, coming from the direction of North Branford.

Officer Jay Kaufman located the motorcycles nearby on Hosley Avenue.

Morgan said that as Kaufman began following them, ​“they reversed direction, heading at Kaufman’s police cruiser, kicking it on the way by.”

Kaufman and Officer Mark Andrew then located the pair a short distance away in the Foxbridge Village area where, Morgan said, ​“the motorcyclists continued to operate hazardously over roadways and lawns in the congested condominium complex, endangering many adults and children walking in the area.

“Both motorcyclists then fled the complex entering back onto Brushy Plain Road traveling northbound. The pair split apart at the intersection of Brushy Plain and Brookwood Drive,” Morgan said.

“A short time later, as Officer Andrew and Det. Art Ferris were stopped at the intersection of Brookwood and Victor Hill Drive, Gino Vella collided the motorcycle he was operating into the front of Andrew’s police cruiser,” Morgan said. The crash occurred near Vella’s home at 30 Brookwood Drive.

It was then that Vella, who by this time was wearing a bandana to cover his face, lunged into the passenger window of Officer Andrew’s police car and attempted to assault him, Morgan said. When Detective Ferris attempted to take Vella into custody, Vella bit the detective’s hand.

Vella’s father, Anthony, along with another juvenile who was not identified because of his age, attempted to come to Gino’s aid and were taken into custody as well, police said.

Besides assault on a police officer, Gino Vella is also charged with threatening in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree and breach of peace. He was also charged with two counts of interfering with an officer, engaging in a pursuit, reckless driving and improper operation on a public highway.

His father, Anthony, was charged with interfering with a police officer and was released on a $2,500 bond. He will appear in New Haven Superior Court on June 13. The juvenile was released to a parent and the second motorcyclist has not yet been identified.

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