Eaton, NY -- A Madison County sheriff’s deputy fired a gun Thursday night at a suspect driving a car directly at him, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said, but no one was hit by the bullet. The incident began about 11:17 p.m. when a deputy on patrol found a car parked in an area known as the “turn around” on...
Eaton, NY -- A Madison County sheriff’s deputy fired a gun Thursday night at a suspect driving a car directly at him, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said, but no one was hit by the bullet.
The incident began about 11:17 p.m. when a deputy on patrol found a car parked in an area known as the “turn around” on Swamp Road in the town of Eaton, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
The deputy pulled behind the car and the car pulled forward and stopped, deputies said. The deputy walked to the driver’s door and asked for the driver’s license and registration. The driver then opened the glove compartment and a bag of what appeared to be marijuana fell out, deputies said.
The driver, identified by deputies as Daniel M. Hugaboon, 47, of Mill Street, Morrisville, surrendered the bag to the deputy without incident, deputies said.
Deputies were already coming to the scene as backup when Hugaboon spun his car around, drove off from the original deputy and sped north on Swamp Road in the southbound lane of the road.
Hugaboon was traveling directly at one of the deputies called to back up the original officer, deputies said. The deputy, fearing for his safety, fired his weapon at the car, deputies said. The car narrowly avoided the deputy and he was not injured.
Deputies took up the chase but could not find the car. About an hour later,
however, Hugaboon was found walking on Swamp Road. Hugaboon told deputies he had crashed his car.
Deputies found the car off of Swamp Road at the Eaton-Smithfield town line, where it had left the west side of the roadway, struck several trees and went down a steep embankment, deputies said.
The deputy’s bullet was found in the hood of the car, which has been impounded. No one was hit in the firing of the deputy’s gun, Madison County Allen Riley said. Hugaboon did have an arm injury from the crash.
Hugaboon was charged with reckless endangerment, a felony, and operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs, a misdemeanor, unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation, and several vehicle and traffic charges.
Hugaboon was ordered held in the Madison County Jail, Wampsville, in lieu of $10,000 cash or bond.
The criminal investigation into the incident and an internal investigation into the discharge of a deputy’s gun are continuing.