CANTON – The theft of a pack of cigarettes ended poorly for a DeKalb Junction man who has been charged for allegedly ramming his van into two police vehicles resulting in injuries to two sheriff’s deputies early Saturday morning.
Michael J. Maurer, 45, of 3106 County Rt. 17, was arraigned on Thursday, Oct. 19 in Canton Town Court before Hon. Michael Morgan on charges of felony counts of reckless endangerment, second-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief, assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon, and aggravated assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon.
Maurer was also charged with petit larceny, resisting arrest and third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle.
He was remanded to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility on $25,000 cash bail and $50,000 bond.
He is scheduled to reappear in Canton Town Court on Nov. 27.
It all started around 1 a.m. on Oct. 14 when Canton police responded to a report of a burglary in progress at the 7/11 convenience store (Sunoco) at 71 East Main St.
The suspect was reported to have stolen a pack of cigarettes from the store and then walked outside to his van that was parked in the parking lot. Canton police officer James Gibson arrived at the scene and the defendant immediately charged at the officer, causing the suspect to be shot with a taser due to repeatedly failing to adhere to verbal commands and stop approaching the officer, according to Canton Police Chief James Santimaw in an emailed press release.
The suspect removed the taser probes from his body and then walked back to his van. At about this time, a St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Seth Carr arrived on scene and exited his patrol car. The suspect then struck the deputy with his van, tossing him over his patrol car and onto the pavement, and then rammed the parked deputy’s patrol car before fleeing the scene, said Santimaw.
The suspect’s van continued through the village and then drove south on NYS…
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