A Vermont man accused of dragging a Massachusetts state trooper with his car, then leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase before fleeing into Connecticut has been apprehended, according to authorities.
Mason Payne was taken into custody without incident on Wednesday around 5 p.m. at a hotel in Stamford following a nearly-24 hour manhunt across multiple states. Stamford police said a subsequent search of his room and vehicle also turned up a pair of firearms.
Authorities had been on the lookout for 23-year-old Payne since Tuesday evening, when he was allegedly involved in an armed domestic assault in Dover, Vt.
Local police warned other agencies to “be on the lookout” (BOLO) for the suspect. He was later spotted driving a black Audi with a temporary Vermont registration on Interstate 91 Tuesday night around 10 p.m. near Holyoke.
During the traffic stop, “Payne dragged the trooper several feet with his vehicle before fleeing,” police said.
The incident triggered a chase that was “terminated for safety reasons.” Authorities also noted that the trooper struck, whose name has not been released, was not seriously injured.
Prior to his capture, police warned Payne was likely armed with a rifle and that he could be wearing body armor.
Few other details about the case were provided, but an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
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