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High-speed chase ends in charges for Boston men

E-mail|Link|Comments () June 9, 2009 04:57 PM

By Stewart Bishop, Globe Correspondent

A high-speed chase ended abruptly early this morning when a car fleeing State Police crashed into a Boston Police cruiser in the city's South End section. Three men in the car face weapons and drug charges after the incident, said David Procopio, a State Police spokesman.

At around 1:40 a.m., Trooper Joseph Gray was traveling north on Tremont Street in Boston, when he noticed a brown Chevy Impala with a broken taillight driving in the opposite direction, State Police said.

Gray ran the plate through the Registry of Motor Vehicles database and discovered the vehicle was operating after failing an inspection. Upon discovering the car's status, Gray turned around and attempted to pull it over, but the driver of the Impala turned off the car's headlights and taillights and sped away onto Columbus Avenue.

The Impala fled to Camden Street, and then onto Northampton Street, where it crashed into the side of a Boston police cruiser.

Trooper Gray, along with two Boston police officers who were in the cruiser that was struck, approached the vehicle and ordered three men out of the car.

Police arrested the driver, Carlos Depina, 24, of Dorchester and his two passengers, Gilson Semedo, 22, of Dorchester, and Erik Hernandez, 30, of Roslindale.

Upon further inspection, officers found two bags containing 59 green pills labeled "OC" on one side and "80" on the other. Procopio said the pills are believed to be Oxycontin, but that must be confirmed by a lab.

The two Boston police officers were taken to Beth Israel Hospital with back pain and head injuries. Boston Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll described their injuries as “non-life threatening.”

As the three were being arrested, a Boston Police photographer arrived and began to document the scene around the mangled police cruiser. While taking pictures the photographer noticed a gun lying over a fence right next to where the Impala was stopped, with its passenger window rolled down, police said.

Procopio said the weapon was a large-capacity 9mm Hi-Point Luger.

The three men were arraigned in Roxbury District Court at 2:30 p.m. today. Depina was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and other charges. He is being held on $25,000 cash bail.

Semedo and Hernandez were both charged with possession of a class B substance with intent to distribute. They are being held on $1,000 and $2,000 cash bail, respectively.

Other charges may be filed, said Suffolk district attorney's spokesman Jake Wark. The three are due back in court for another hearing on July 2.