State Police say an early-morning traffic stop in the town of Dix turned into a brief chase that ended with a Beaver Dams man in custody and multiple weapons recovered from his truck.
Troopers with SP Montour Falls say they tried pulling over a speeding Ford F-150 around 1:20 a.m. on Thursday after noticing it also had no plate lights. The driver didn’t stop, continuing north on Route 414 before cutting onto a series of back roads and eventually driving into a Watkins Glen International access area.
According to investigators, the driver jumped out, slipped under a gate, and tried to run, but troopers caught up with him a short distance away. He was identified as 47-year-old Brandon Bennett.
During the investigation, troopers say they found a bolt-action rifle in the front seat with a round chambered and a spotlight taped to the barrel, along with a shotgun in the rear floorboard.
He’s now facing several charges, including:
- Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd: Previous Conviction (D felonies)
- Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle 3rd (A misdemeanor)
- Resisting Arrest (A misdemeanor)
- Obstructing Governmental Administration 2nd (A misdemeanor)
- Trespass (violation)
State Police say the investigation is still ongoing.
Bennett was taken to SP Montour Falls for processing and then to the Schuyler County Jail for CAP arraignment.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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