North Stonington — A massive police pursuit that began in Massachusetts and continued through Rhode Island ended just before 1 p.m. Wednesday on Route 2 just north of Interstate 95, where the suspect crashed and was taken into custody, according to police.

Massachusetts State Police said that Ian Grant, 36, of Dartmouth, was taken into custody. He is being held by Connecticut State Police on an $800,000 bond.

Connecticut State Police said Grant was taken to Backus Hospital in Norwich to be evaluated, but that neither he nor any troopers were injured. Grant has been charged with extradition arrest without a warrant due to an outstanding arrest warrant for a domestic charge in Massachussetts.

The incident involved up to 20 Massachusetts and Rhode Island state police cruisers, a tactical team and a helicopter, pursuing a pickup truck along Route 1, through downtown Westerly and onto Route 78 before turning north onto Route 2, where Stonington police and Connecticut State Police tried to stop the pickup.

The pursuit ended when the truck crashed in the area of Eagle Park just into North Stonington about 12:55 p.m. Students and staff in schools in Westerly, Stonington and North Stonington were told to shelter in place.  

At 1:49 p.m., Connecticut State Police posted on Twitter that they were assisting Rhode Island State Police with an out-of-state investigation and pursuit, which had ended in North Stonington. They said the scene "is active but contained," and area schools had been notified. The area of Routes 2 and 184 was closed during the afternoon as police investigated.

Shortly after 11 a.m. in Westport, Mass., New Bedford police tried to stop the white Toyota Tacoma that Grant was driving, because he was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant for assault and intimidation of a witness, Massachusetts State Police said. His home at 111 Prospect St. was also the site of a fire earlier Wednesday, the origin and cause of which is under investigation.

Massachusetts State Police said in fleeing New Bedford officers, Grant headed west on Route 195. Three state troopers monitoring the pursuit set up a tire deflation device, and preliminary investigation indicates Grant drove into the median at the troopers.

Police said a trooper or troopers discharged their weapon or weapons, but the vehicle continued and hit two state police cruisers before crossing the median and driving the wrong way Route 195, into oncoming traffic. Troopers were evaluated for stress at a hospital and released, Massachusetts State Police said. The agency will investigate the weapon discharge.

Due to the wrong-way driving, troopers didn't continue pursuit, and police issued a "Be on the Lookout" alert for the truck. Rhode Island State Police said the driver was suspected in an arson, in possession of a firearm, and potentially suicidal.

State police patrols, K9 units and a helicopter responded to the area to search for Grant and his vehicle, which police in Rhode Island found in Jamestown, R.I., at the Pell Bridge Toll Plaza. Rhode Island troopers began a pursuit, which continued on Route 1 through South Kingstown, Charlestown and Westerly.

Rhode Island State Police said at times during the pursuit, the driver pointed what appeared to be an assault-style rifle out his window. The pursuit continued onto Route 78 and into Connecticut, where Grant's truck went off the road into the wood line on Route 2 in North Stonington, just north of the I-95 ramp.

Massachusetts State Police said that Rhode Island and Connecticut troopers established a perimeter and began trying to negotiate with Grant, and around 2 p.m., a tactical team took him into custody.

Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella praised the excellent communication among all the police agencies involved in helping the pursuit come to an end without any members of the public or officers being injured. 

"I'm proud of these guys. Everyone did a great job," he said, adding his dispatch center did a wonderful job coordinating the officers.

Gingerella said he and his officers had been tracking the progression of the pursuit after the initial call of an officer-involved shooting that involved a subject who should be considered suicidal. He said his officers began to get ready for the pursuit to enter Westerly as the suspect headed down Route 1 into South Kingstown, where it was reported the suspect may have displayed a gun.

He said his department's role was more of being in "protection mode" as there were already numerous state police vehicles  following the pickup and more were not needed to join the pursuit.

He said his officers tried to deploy stop sticks to deflate the pickup's tires on Route 1 near the Haversham Tavern but were unsuccessful. He said officers were then sent to Westerly Middle School on Route 1 and Westerly High School in the downtown where the road was blocked. He added no shots were fired in Westerly.

The pickup truck continued along Granite Street, Grove Avenue, Oak Street, Old Hopkinton Road and Frontage Road before making a U-turn and turning onto Route 78 at Oak Street. The pickup then drove headed to Route 2 and Connecticut.

Stonington Police Captain Todd Olson said all officers on duty, including himself and new Chief Jay DelGrosso, responded to Pawcatuck to assist the pursuing units. Groton Town Police helped patrol the western side of town.   

Olson said the department's dispatchers did a "terrific job" in communicating with Westerly police about the location of the driver so officers in Stonington, who were joined by Connecticut state police, could be in position to stop the driver.

Olson said Stonington and state police deployed stop sticks at the western end of Route 78, but the driver was able to maneuver around them and continue. Like Westerly, Stonington officers did not join the chase, because Olson said enough units were already involved.

Olson said he also sent out messages to 3,500 Pawcatuck residents about the incident. 

j.wojtas@theday.com

e.moser@theday.com