Watch CBS News

Man Accused Of Running Down Officer, Taking Police On Wild Chase After Stealing Food

BADEN (KDKA) -- A man accused of running down a police officer in a stolen pickup truck in Beaver County is now behind bars and facing a long list of charges.

The surveillance video shows three police officers surrounding a silver GMC Sierra pickup truck in the Sheetz parking lot in Baden Borough.

Police say 36-year-old Michael Emrick of Ambridge was behind the wheel.

They say he was caught stealing food from the gas station and things escalated from there.

"He backed up, hit the gas hard, and a Harmony Township Police officer, who was backing us up at the time, kind of got caught in the window or by the mirror, and was thrown from the vehicle," Baden Borough Police Chief David Christner said.

A Baden Police officer tried using a Taser on Emrick but missed.

They say Emrick took off, leading them on a wild chase all while throwing drug paraphernalia out of the window.

"He took it through the woods and went through several streets," Chief Christner said.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

Emrick crashed his car into Frank Roppo's backyard, smashing into two of his utility sheds.

"I heard a big bang. I was looking out the window. I got my pistol. I don't know what's going on, you know?" Roppo said.

Turns out, a woman and a dog were in the back seat of the truck.

Roppo said it could've been a lot worse.

"The other shed had cans of gasoline in there. It's a good thing it didn't burst to flames," Roppo said.

Police arrested Emrick following the crash. He took off on foot, but they were able to catch up with him. They say the truck was stolen from a car dealership in Connellsville. Court records show Emrick has a long criminal background, going back to 1998.

The injured officer suffered some bumps and bruises but is expected to be okay.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.