At approximately 9 a.m., Danvers Police attempted to stop a scooter operator who reportedly had a knife and had threatened to harm himself. The male was operating a 2019 Yamaha YW50 scooter erratically. The operator was later spotted in the area of Centennial Drive in Peabody and then a few minutes later driving north on the southbound side of Route 95. The operator got onto Route 114 eastbound and MSP cruisers began following, with no lights on and not in a pursuit posture.
The operator continued into Middleton, at times driving on the wrong side of the road. MSP patrols continued to not pursue but positioned themselves in a manner so as to protect other motorists. State and local cruisers also blocked intersections and side streets to prevent collisions. The operator got onto Route 28 in Stoneham and then onto Route 93. The State Police Air Wing provided overwatch support and gave updated locations of the moped to ground units.
The operator, a 28-year-old man, exited the highway onto Mystic Avenue in Medford, where he was stopped and apprehended at approximately 10:50 a.m. The man was transported by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital for evaluation. Two vehicles, an MSP cruiser and a personal vehicle, sustained damage from the moped during the incident.
