Christopher Galbraith has been identified as the 31-year-old Wayland man who was arrested in connection with a crime spree early Sunday morning in the City of Wayland.
An owner of Black River Waterproofing, 309½ Clark St., the victim of an attempted break-in, confirmed that Galbraith was a former employee. He was lodged in the Allegan County Jail on charges of feloniously assaulting a police officer with a motor vehicle, felony fleeing and eluding, felony malicious destruction of police property, attempted carjacking, felony malicious destruction of property at Black River Waterproofing and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
Galbraith also was arrested Sept. 28 on a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Wayland Police Chief Mark Garnsey said officer Tom Newberry responded to a call about a disturbance last Sunday just before 6 a.m. He confronted Galbraith, who immediately left the scene, but suddenly stopped, put his car in reverse and backed about 75 feet across a lawn and crashed into the Wayland Police cruiser, a full-sized Chevrolet Tahoe.
“The driver’s sedan was now disabled because of significant damage, and the driver then fled on foot,” Garnsey said. “The officer yelled for the suspect driver to stop. As the driver fled, he had an unknown object in his hands, and headed for a wooded area.”
Allegan County Sheriff’s deputies were summoned for a canine track, and Michigan State Police and the Gun Lake Tribal Police assisted at the scene as well. A short while later a state police unit located the driver, who was now riding a bicycle. The suspect attempted to evade the MSP Trooper, but was apprehended.
Garnsey said, “Subsequent investigation revealed that the fleeing suspect had attempted to car jack a vehicle from a customer who was at the Wayland Laundry on West Superior Street. The suspect had some type of lengthy garden tool in his hands, according to the victim. The suspect pounded the tool on the ground and told the victim he was taking the victim’s car because the police were after him.”
The suspect was not able to steal the car, but appropriated the bicycle that he was eventually caught fleeing the scene with.
Black River Waterproofing officials said they have $12,400 in damaged tools consisting of a welder, a transit laser and other tools.
