On September 24, 2024, Fairfield Police were called to Home Depot on Kings Highway Cutoff after reports of two known shoplifters, Amanda Belcher and James Coates, who had been previously banned from the store.

The suspects attempted to steal over $1,200 in merchandise when loss prevention alerted police. Both suspects had multiple active warrants from several jurisdictions, including Fairfield, Greenwich, and Naugatuck.

When officers arrived, Belcher fled on foot but was pursued by police through the parking lot. She managed to enter a vehicle, dragging one officer as she reversed, and collided with another car before escaping the scene.

The officer sustained minor injuries, losing a cell phone and a name patch in the altercation, which were later found with Belcher. Meanwhile, Coates fled toward Meadowbrook Road but was apprehended after a local resident reported seeing him hiding in their yard. He resisted arrest, requiring officers to use a Taser to subdue him.

Belcher was located and arrested at the Sunnyside Hotel in Bridgeport with assistance from the Bridgeport Auto Theft Task Force. She was also found to have destroyed the officer’s phone in an attempt to evade capture. Further investigations revealed Belcher had crashed her vehicle behind a nearby Lexus dealership before fleeing again.

Both Belcher and Coates were arrested and face multiple charges. Belcher’s charges include assault on a public safety officer, reckless driving, and larceny, with bond set at $75,000. Coates was charged with trespassing, larceny conspiracy, and interfering with an officer, with a bond set at $10,000. Both suspects were also charged on warrants from several other jurisdictions.

Two officers sustained minor injuries during the incident and were treated at the scene by AMR ambulance.