High-speed police chase ends in arrest

Long Beach police chased the driver of a stolen car through the city on Friday, a pursuit that ended when the suspect slammed his vehicle into a police car. Police said that the driver refused officers' demands to put his hands up and instead "reached under his seat," and that's when one officer smashed the driver-side window with a baton to apprehend the suspect.

Police said that the incident began on Jan. 4 shortly before 10 a.m., when police officer Brian Martin, on routine patrol, observed a 2012 Honda Civic heading east on West Park Avenue and Washington Boulevard. The police vehicle was equipped with a license plate reader, a device which indicated that the light blue Honda Civic had been stolen.

The officer proceeded to follow the vehicle and observed it cross two lanes of traffic into the right lane, when the driver accellerated and the officer turned his lights and sirens on in an attempt to stop the vehicle.

Police said that the driver of the car, 48-year-old Anthony Mills, refused to pull over, and struck two parked cars during the chase. The officer called for assistance from other units in the area, as Mills proceeded north over the Long Beach Bridge toward Island Park. According to police, Mills made a sharp left turn after he was surrounded by police cruisers on Austin Boulevard and headed west on Railroad Place, at which point he struck officer Martin's car, triggered the Honda's airbags to burst and came to a complete stop.

As a result of the collision, the police car involved in the accident was blocking the stolen vehicle's driver door. Rather than comply with officers' instructions to put his hands up, Mills allegedly refused and instead reached under his seat, according to police. That's when officer Martin proceeded to break the driver side window with a baton in order to gain entry.

Mills was placed under arrest and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawful fleeing of a police officer and resisting arrest.

He was transported by a Nassau County Police Department ambulance to South Nassau Communities Hospital for pain in his leg. He was arraigned at Long Beach Police Department headquarters on Saturday by Judge Frank Dikranis. Bail has not been set and Mills was remanded until his next court date on Jan. 7.