Utica Police: Stolen Military Truck Ends in Wild Chase [Video]

A bizarre and dangerous early morning incident in Utica ended with a stolen military-style vehicle crashing along Genesee Street and a 29-year-old man in custody after a chaotic police pursuit.

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It started around 2:20 a.m. Wednesday when a security officer at the Alexander Pirnie Federal Building spotted something unusual. Surveillance footage showed a suspicious man entering a large military-style vehicle parked near 221 Oriskany Street and driving off. That tip quickly got Utica Police moving.

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Officers later found the vehicle on West Street and tried to stop it. Instead, the driver — later identified as 29-year-old Daniel Passino-Brazeau, no known address — began moving erratically, backing up and inching forward before suddenly accelerating toward officers. Police had to scramble to avoid being hit. From there, the truck sped through city streets, heading south on West Street, then weaving through South Street and Genesee Street.

Things escalated fast. On the 200 block of Genesee Street, the truck slammed into a utility pole and a fire hydrant, ripping both from the ground and causing heavy damage to a nearby building at 287 Genesee Street. During the pursuit, one officer climbed onto the moving vehicle in an attempt to stop it and was thrown off when the truck accelerated, suffering injuries that required treatment at Wynn Hospital.

The truck continued recklessly through Oneida Square before finally crashing into a tree in the 1600 block of Genesee Street, disabling it. Officers then moved in, climbing onto the vehicle and breaking windows to get the driver out. Passino-Brazeau eventually exited but struggled with officers before being taken into custody. A second officer suffered significant hand and wrist injuries during that arrest.

Both injured officers were treated and released, though one has been placed out of work due to head and body injuries.

Police say the damage forced road closures along Genesee Street, with sections between Dakin Street and South Street still shut down due to debris as of Wednesday morning.

Passino-Brazeau is facing multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree assault, third-degree grand larceny, driving while intoxicated, and unlawful fleeing a police officer, along with numerous vehicle and traffic violations. Authorities say more charges are likely.

Utica Police credited the federal building security officer for quickly identifying the theft and notifying authorities, and said coordinated efforts by responding officers helped prevent injuries to bystanders despite the scale and danger of the incident.