LEWISTON — A local man was behind bars Wednesday, charged with attempting to ram two police cruisers during an early morning chase through three municipalities.
Daniel Jackson, 44, is also accused of twice attempting to escape after his capture following the Tuesday morning chase from Turner into Lewiston.
Jackson, owner of the former medical marijuana business Fire Pharms on Center Street in Auburn, was being held on charges of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, eluding police, driving to endanger, escape, driving without a license, three counts of aggravated criminal mischief, refusing to submit to arrest, criminal speed, failure to provide name and date of birth and violating conditions of release.
The chase began about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, police said, when an Androscoggin County Sheriff’s deputy spotted a defective vehicle being driven on Conant Road in Turner.
Police said that once stopped, the driver provided them with false identification and became confrontational with deputies.
“As officers spoke with Jackson through the vehicle window, they noted signs of impairment from illicit drug use,” according to a police news release. “Despite being given multiple lawful commands to exit the vehicle, Jackson refused to comply.”
Jackson sped off in his vehicle, police said, “and in doing so, intentionally rammed two Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office cruisers.”
The chase began through the back roads of Turner, ultimately passing through Auburn and into Lewiston. Other agencies were alerted to the chase, including Lewiston, Lisbon and Maine State Police.
The chase passed through downtown Lewiston and onto the back roads headed toward Sabattus. On South Lisbon Road in Lewiston, police were able to lay down road spikes, which disabled Jackson’s vehicle.
After his vehicle came to a stop, police said, Jackson attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly stopped by officers.
Police said Jackson admitted to swallowing “a significant amount of illicit drugs prior to the traffic stop.” He was taken to a Lewiston hospital for clearance before he was moved to the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn.
Police said that during the drive to jail, Jackson broke out a cruiser window and attempted to escape for a second time. He was captured in the jail parking lot.
Jackson has an extensive criminal history between New York and Maine, including multiple charges of escape, including one from a New York police station and another from the Franklin County Jail in Farmington.
In the latter escape, Jackson climbed the chain-link fence at the Franklin County Jail, crawled over the tangled razor wire and, cut and bleeding, escaped through the woods.
Jackson’s criminal history also includes convictions for assaults, arson, terrorizing, assault on an officer, aggravated forgery and trafficking in prison contraband.
In his latest arrest record, Jackson is listed as transient, although state records show that he was living in Bowdoinham as recently as Sept. 23.
Jackson was being held without bail.
