Man arrested on warrant after chase
A Monongahela man wanted by Monongahela police on a warrant was arrested Saturday after leading police on a chase from the city and onto Toll 43 before it ended when state police deployed “stop strips” on the toll road in Allegheny County.
William E. Patterson, 43, of 432 High St., was spotted by police about 10 a.m. Saturday in his vehicle at the intersection of West Main and Fourth streets, said city police Chief Brian Tempest.
Police knew there was a warrant for his arrest. When officers activated the overhead lights on the cruiser to pull him over, police said Patterson fled.
Tempest said Patterson was passing vehicles on the left as he continued on West Main Street to Route 136 in Carroll Township. He then got on the toll road toward Pittsburgh. Tempest said the pursuit ended when state police deployed the stop strips near the Jefferson Hills exit of the toll road.
“Patterson’s vehicle went off the road and crashed in a wooded area,” Tempest said. “He took off on foot and was caught after a brief foot chase.”
Police had received a call Nov. 26 from a neighbor that Patterson was planning to commit suicide and was looking for ammunition.
The caller told police that Patterson had a gun to his head, but she able to get the weapon away from him. The revolver had been registered to Patterson’s wife, who died earlier that month.
Patterson was later taken to Monongahela Valley Hospital for an evaluation.
Police obtained a warrant to search Patterson’s home two days later. They said they found several guns, including the one seen earlier. He is not permitted to have weapons because he is a convicted felon.
Patterson was taken to Monongahela Valley Hospital for treatment after he was apprehended Saturday and was released to police custody the following day.
Patterson was arraigned Sunday before District Judge Joshua Kanalis on the warrant, which included 14 counts of firearms not to be possessed by a convict and one count each of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Kanalis denied Patterson bond and remanded him to the Washington County jail.
Kanalis said Monday that he denied Patterson bond out of concern for the safety and welfare of the public. The district judge said Patterson had a previous encounter with police in November and led them on a chase in that case, also.
Tempest said charges of flight to avoid apprehension, fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless endangerment, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, criminal mischief and several traffic violations were filed Monday against Patterson at the office of District Judge Mark Wilson.
A preliminary hearing on the initial charges is set for Jan. 23 before Wilson.