Haverhill Police tell WHAV they are “confident” they can tie the New Year’s Day car chase to Joseph Haynes–but will not say if he was behind a River Street shooting. (File photograph)
While Haverhill Police laud the capture of a man who may have been behind a car chase through multiple communities New Year’s Day, there is doubt the same man was involved in a River Street shooting Dec. 20.
In announcing the arrest of 30-year-old Joseph Haynes, Sunday, at the Park View Inn motel, Salem, N.H., Police Capt. Joel Dolan connected the car chase and shooting at Always Clean car wash, 427 River St. However, Haverhill Police said today, they are not confident the stolen, black Chrysler 200 was also involved in the report of multiple shots fired.
“Based on further investigation, it may not be the vehicle involved in the shooting. However, we are confident it was the vehicle involved in the pursuit,” Haverhill police Capt. Robert P. Pistone told WHAV.
While Officer Justin Graham was out on patrol on the afternoon of New Year’s Day, Pistone explained, he saw a car matching the description of a vehicle seen at the car wash on the day of the shooting. When Graham turned around near Central Plaza to take a closer look, the driver took off and a multiple city police chase began. Although the pursuit was called off for safety reasons, police checked the license plate and discovered the Chrysler had been stolen from Florida. The information was entered into a national database.
Salem Police arrested Haynes at the Park View Inn motel, after spotting the stolen car in the motel parking lot. At first, Salem Police said, Haynes refused to identify himself, but they believed he was also wanted on warrants out of Broward County, Fla., and Illinois.
“After several failed attempts to have the male leave the room and due to the seriousness of his alleged crimes the Southern New Hampshire Special Operations Unit was activated. After several hours of discussions with the Crisis Negotiators the male was taken into custody without further incident,” Dolan said in a statement.
Pistone said it may take some time for Haynes to be returned to Haverhill depending on the disposition of the Florida and Illinois charges. He thanked Salem Police. “Salem did an outstanding job apprehending the fugitive without incident and assisting us in our investigation.”
Haynes’ last known address was in Tewksbury.