Howland man under arrest tries to escape by running onto I-95

A Howland man arrested on domestic violence and sexual assault charges Wednesday gave police a literal run for their money when he became violent during a car ride, unbuckled his seat belt and attempted to flee from the moving car as it traveled on I-95.

Penobscot County Sheriff deputies arrested John T. Havlin, 32, of Howland for alleged domestic violence assault and unlawful sexual touching.

Havlin submitted to arrest without incident. But while he was being transported to the county jail by Cpl. Ryan Fitch, Havlin released his seat belt and attempted to open the car door.

Fitch grabbed onto Havlin’s shirt, preventing him from escaping the car, as the officer pulled over to the side of the highway. As Fitch came to a stop, Havlin fled from the car into oncoming traffic.

After a short foot chase, Fitch used a Taser on Havlin.

A passing officer from the Lincoln Police Department, who was also transporting a prisoner to the Penobscot County Jail, stopped to assist.

Related Stories