A passenger who turns into a fugitive escapes from custody in a patrol car and might spend up to seven years behind bars.
(WNY News Now) While under arrest for a warrant, a Brant man entered a guilty plea to stealing a car belonging to the New York State Police and leading police on a perilous pursuit.Photo by the Erie County DA’s Office of Bryan D. Ells
Bryan D. Ells, 41, pled guilty to one count of Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony. Ells submitted his plea before Acting Erie County Court Judge Andrew C. LoTempio on Monday afternoon, according to Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane.
On October 17, 2024, a New York State Trooper pulled over a car for a traffic infraction on Aldrich Street in the Village of Gowanda. The car’s passenger, Ells, was wanted by Chautauqua County on a warrant. Ells was handcuffed and put in the back of the patrol car, but he was able to break free from his handcuffs, take over the car, and drive away.
After driving at high speed and almost colliding with a Sheriff’s Office vehicle, Ells managed to escape capture once more, but the stolen police car was eventually found on Gowanda Zoar Road in the Town of Collins. The patrol car was eventually discovered by authorities abandoned on Versailles’ Eaton Road. Ells was taken into custody inside a nearby home.
Ells is now subject to a maximum penalty of seven years behind bars. His sentencing date is set for February 20, 2025, and he is still being held without bail.
The Felony Trials Bureau’s Assistant District Attorney Rachel Kranitz McPhee handled the prosecution.