WESTFIELD, NJ – Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro announced the arrest of Jason M. Burkett, 44, from Cockeysville, MD, following a vehicle pursuit that concluded with a crash, injuring three officers. The incident unfolded on Thursday, April 18, around 5:10 PM when a license plate recognition camera alerted authorities to a stolen vehicle entering Westfield. Within minutes, another camera detected the vehicle traveling farther north on Central Avenue.
Officer Donald Picciano attempted to stop the 2017 Nissan Altima near the intersection of Central Avenue and West Grove Street after locating it. The driver refused to comply, initiating a chase that wound through several neighborhoods and ended in Garwood at a gas station on North Avenue. There, a collision occurred involving the suspect’s vehicle and two police cars. Burkett resisted arrest but was ultimately detained.
The crash resulted in lacerations from broken glass to Sergeant Richard Gill, Officer Joseph Saunders, and Plainclothes Officer Ryan Weiss. The injured officers received initial treatment from local first responders and were transported to Overlook Medical Center, where one officer required ten stitches. The vehicle Burkett operated was confirmed stolen from Philadelphia, and he faces multiple charges related to the incident.
