A Torrington man was arrested Thursday after striking five federal law enforcement officers while attempting to flee a 2021 traffic stop in Bridgeport, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Connecticut.

A federal grand jury indicted Dennis Lee Waiters, 32, this month on charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.

On June 15, 2021, members of the FBI's Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Bridgeport Police Department attempted to stop a car Waiters was driving as part of an investigation into gang-related violence and potential retaliation, prosecutors said.

"The law enforcement vehicles had activated their lights and sirens, and officers exiting the vehicles wore vests bearing the letters 'FBI' and 'POLICE.' Instead of stopping, Waiters drove into the federal law enforcement officers and their vehicles, crashing into three different law enforcement officers' vehicles and into a civilian motorist," prosecutors said. "One officer fired into Waiters' car as it headed toward the officer, causing the car to veer into another law enforcement vehicle and, ultimately, to crash into a pole."

A passenger in Waiters' car attempted to flee the scene after the vehicle crashed, prosecutors said, leaving a semiautomatic pistol behind.

Federal prosecutors filed a motion to detain Waiters ahead of his trial on Thursday, citing him criminal record and the possibility of flight.

Waiters is next scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Monday.