STAMFORD, Conn. – Mason Payne, a 23-year-old Vermont man, was taken into custody Wednesday evening at a motel in Stamford, Connecticut, after a multi-state manhunt. He was wanted in connection with an armed domestic assault and a high-speed police pursuit in Massachusetts that resulted in a trooper being dragged.
The incident began Tuesday afternoon when police in Dover, Vermont, reported Payne was involved in an armed domestic dispute. Later that evening, around 10 p.m., Massachusetts State Police attempted to stop Payne in Holyoke.
During the stop, Payne allegedly dragged a state trooper several feet with his vehicle before fleeing the scene. For safety reasons, the pursuit was called off.
Authorities issued a warning that Payne should be considered armed and dangerous and had made threats to harm law enforcement officers. He was last seen driving a black, older model Audi sedan.
Stamford police located Payne at around 5 p.m. Wednesday at a local motel. A search of his room and vehicle revealed two firearms. He was arrested without further incident.
Payne, a resident of Weathersfield, Vermont, now faces charges across multiple states, including assault on a law enforcement officer and firearm-related offenses. Further legal proceedings are pending as law enforcement agencies coordinate across state lines.
