"D.C. SHERIFF'S / TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE POLICE REPEAT ANOTHER DEADLY ADRENALIN HIGH SPEED CHASE"

Poughkeepsie Journal

Saturday, March , 2004

Chase Ends with Man's Car Allegedly Ramming Police Cruisers

By Dan Shapley

WAPPINGERS FALLS -- A repeat offender from New Rochelle, allegedly high on drugs, led a dozen police cars on a chase for about 35 minutes early Friday morning through the streets in and around the Village of Wappingers Falls.

Police from the Town of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County Sheriffs Office were involved in the chase, while state police assisted afterward, Sheriffs Office Lt. Paul Piastro said.

He characterized it as a “low speed” chase on quiet streets from about 1:40 to 2:15 a.m.

About a dozen police cars were involved in setting up road blocks and following the car, which allegedly ended the chase by slamming repeatedly into -- and damaging -- two stopped police cars on Route 9. The chase began when a deputy attempted to stop a car driven by Charles Joseph Federice, 26, on Route 9 in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

Drove through park

Federice allegedly fled along several streets, through parking lots of stores, the Imperial Gardens apartment complex, and through the grass of Messier Park in Wappingers Falls, Piastro said.

Fedence is on parole, Pias-tro said, and has a rap sheet “literally 30 feet long” filled with crimes related to drugs, theft and other offenses, though none of them were committed locally.

He allegedly told police he smoked crack and heroin on his drive from the Bronx that evening, and

continued to smoke crack while attempting to elude police, Piastro said.

Police found a crack pipe and baggies, but no drugs other than residue.

Federice was arraigned on two counts of felony third-degree criminal mischief and is being held in Dutchess County Jail without bail. Police expect to file several other charges, Piastro said.

CITIZENS OPINION:

SHERIFF'S OFFICE Lt. PAUL PIASTRO, AS A "COVER UP", CHARACTERIZED THIS 12 CAR AGGRESSIVE HOT PURSUIT, AS A "LOW SPEED CHASE" BEGINNING ON ROUTE 9 IN THE TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE, AND ENDING THIRTY-FIVE (35) MINUTES LATER SOMEWHERE IN THE VILLAGE OF WAPPINGERS FALLS.

MR. PIASTRO, LET US ENLIGHTEN YOU ON THE MEANING OF THE WORD CHASE: (1) TO FOLLOW RAPIDLY IN ORDER TO CATCH: PURSUE: (2) TO PUT TO FLIGHT: (3) THE ACT OF CHASING.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZING TO HAVE SEEN A "LOW SPEED CHASE" AS YOU CONVENIENTLY DESCRIBED IT, BEING ROMANCED AND RELATED TO THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD "CHASED".

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