Driver accused of leading police on wild chase north of Boston has long criminal record
MIDDLETON - WBZ has obtained court documents that show the man who allegedly fled police, leading to a three-town chase on Tuesday, has done so before.
Driver has extensive criminal record
Joseph Kennedy, from Malden, has an extensive criminal record including assault and battery, drug possession with intent to distribute, gun charges, and evading police at both the state and federal level.
Federal court documents show on two different occasions in 2012 and 2014, Kennedy refused to stop for police lights and led police on brief chases before he was arrested.
As Kennedy was arraigned in Salem District Court on Wednesday, he had a bandage over his arm and staples in the back side of his head. Witnesses say it was miraculous that nobody else was hurt during the extensive police chase, in which investigators claim Kennedy, likely on drugs, drove at high rates of speed in the wrong direction before driving his car through a fence and towards the woods.
Ed Davis on police chase tactics
WBZ Security Analyst Ed Davis says a lot of careful planning goes into staging a police chase. "There's a significant amount of supervision that goes on in these cases," he said. "There's a determination made by a superior officer who is not part of the chase, who is supposed to be monitoring the radio and determining whether or not the chase can continue without hurting someone."
He says firing shots at a car - which did not happen here - is an absolute last resort. "So, they've taken that off the table as an option, but they do have tools, so they have stop sticks that can be thrown out in front of the car to flatten the tires," he said.
"They have the strategy of stopping vehicles to create a roadblock or what's known as a PIT maneuver," when an officer can tap the back of a car to send it spinning and stop. These are unusual in Massachusetts since the roads are congested and usually small.
Joseph Kennedy was held on $15,000 cash bail, but also has to answer to current federal probation issues for firearm crimes. His next court date for this car chase incident is June 3.
