A state police chase, which covered roughly 25 miles early on the morning of Friday, July 17, started near the Exit 10 interchange of westbound Interstate 84 in Newtown. The chase proceeded on I-84 to Brookfield, Bethel, and Danbury, and then reversed direction, entering Brookfield, and then New Milford, where the man being pursued crashed his vehicle near the junction of Routes 7 and 37, state police said.

Following the incident, state police arrested Kenneth Lyden, 32, of Wolcott on multiple criminal and motor vehicle charges.

In a statement, state police spokeswoman Trooper Kelly Grant said that at about 3:06 am on July 17, state police sought to stop Lyden for a speeding violation near Exit 10, but he refused to stop and continued westward to Exit 6 in Danbury.

State police placed devices known as “stop sticks” on I-84 in an attempt to puncture the tires of Lyden’s vehicle, but the move was unsuccessful.

Lyden drove off the roadway at a high speed toward a state trooper who was outside his vehicle assisting a motorist with another matter. The trooper then used his pistol to shoot once at Lyden, state police said. Although the bullet hit Lyden’s vehicle, he continued fleeing, according to state police.

Lyden then drove on Route 7 northward toward New Milford.

After the crash occurred in New Milford, Lyden got out of his vehicle and became involved in a physical fight with state police and Danbury police, who had also been pursing him, Tpr Grant said.

“During the struggle with the suspect, a Taser was deployed on the suspect and he was eventually handcuffed,” Tpr Grant said.

State police transported Lyden to Danbury Hospital for a medical evaluation, state police said. Also, several troopers were treated and released from that hospital, she said.

Midday on Saturday, July 18, as a state trooper was getting ready to transport Lyden from St Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury to Troop A in Southbury, Lyden stole a state police vehicle and then drove several miles to Austin Road, near the Cheshire town line, where he was stopped by police.

In Danbury Superior Court on July 20 in connection with the July 17 incident, Lyden was arraigned on at least ten criminal and motor vehicle charges, including reckless driving, assault on public safety personnel, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with police, and failure to obey a police signal to stop, among others.

Lyden did not enter pleas to the charges in Danbury Suerior Court. He is represented by a public defender. Lyden is scheduled to return to court on July 27.

Also, Lyden was scheduled to be arrested on a warrant on July 24 in connection with the July 18 escape incident in Waterbury, state police said. That araignement would occur in Waterbury Superior Court.

Lyden was being held prisoner on $250,000 bail on July 23 at the Bridgeport Correctional Center.

Notably, Lyden has had 13 convictions on cases in state court. He also has multiple court cases pending in various jurisdictions.