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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Leroy Martin, 34, of Brighton, was arraigned today in Chelsea District Court as the suspect in the car chase in Kendall Square on Wednesday afternoon — a chase that included a trooper firing his weapon, a car crash in Charles Street Circle, an attempt to flee via the T and an arrest at the Kendall Square T stop — and is now held on $100,000 cash bail, said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk Country District Attorney’s Office.

“Should he post that amount [and go free until a court date], he must also wear a GPS monitoring device,” Wark said.

Martin’s next court date is July 9, Wark said.

Martin was also expected to face charges in Middlesex County in connection with his actions in Cambridge, but Stephanie Chelf Guyotte of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, said Thursday morning that she believed the case would be handled entirely in Suffolk County courts.

Martin was held overnight to face on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm and motor vehicle violations, said David Procopia, a State Police spokesman. He gave the following (lightly edited) account of what led to Martin’s arrest:

At 4:42 p.m. a uniformed Massachusetts state trooper in a marked patrol unit tried to stop a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero as a result of a firearms investigation by the State Police Gang Unit. The trooper tried to stop the suspect on Route 1 southbound, just south of the Tobin Bridge.

The suspect and lone occupant of the car, an adult man, refused to stop to avoid apprehension. The trooper activated his lights and siren and MSP Troop A Headquarters authorized pursuit and assumed command and control. The pursuit continued south on Route 1 to Route 93, then onto Storrow Drive in Boston.

Because the reason for the stop was a serious felony involving a firearm, the pursuit was allowed to continue, with traffic conditions and speed being continuously monitored. Once the pursuit crossed over into Cambridge, Troop A relinquished control to Troop H.

The pursuit continued onto Land Boulevard, passing the Cambridgeside Galleria mall. Because of heavy motor vehicle and pedestrian rush hour traffic in that area, Troop H ordered the pursuit ended on Broadway, Cambridge.

In the area of 55 Broadway, the trooper who had been in the lead pursuit position was placed in fear for his life and the lives and safety of pedestrians by the actions of the driver, according to preliminary investigation. As a result, the trooper fired his weapon at the suspect vehicle in an attempt to neutralize the threat to himself and passers-by.

The suspect vehicle continued to speed away, and the trooper lost sight of it.

At 4:55 p.m. Boston Police reported that the Alero was involved in a minor crash with another vehicle at Charles Street Circle. The suspect ran away from that crash. A description of the suspect was broadcast by MSP Troop H to all responding patrols and area local departments.

State Police patrol, K9 and investigative units flooded the area to search for the fleeing suspect. Believing the suspect may try to escape on a train, troopers went to MBTA stations to help Transit Police in searching for the suspect.

At 5:15 p.m., State Police Sgt. Ralph McNeil, commander of the Troop A Community Action Team, found a man fitting the suspect’s description inside the Kendall Square T Station. Sgt. McNeill placed the suspect under arrest; troopers transported the suspect to the State Police Barracks at Leverett Circle, where was held awaiting court.

State Police Crime Scene Services and Ballistics Unit personnel continued to process the two relevant scenes for evidence into the night, and the Alero was towed to a State Police facility to be processed.

Because of the ongoing investigation, we will not comment further tonight on details of the firearm discharge or the identity of the trooper who fired. Nor will we comment on the State Police Gang Unit investigation that led to the initial attempted motor vehicle stop.