Staten Island, NY - Backhoe operator stops Chased Vehicle - Angel dust Suspect from Stealing Police Car

Backhoe operator saves the day
He stops speeding SUV on Van Duzer Street and helps cop corral wacked-out driver
Saturday, June 10, 2006
By DOUG AUER
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Cops calling for backup as they chased a speeding driver in Stapleton yesterday got one better -- a backhoe.

Daniel Manzella, a heavy-equipment operator for Able Plumbing and Heating Inc., was on a sewer job at 775 Van Duzer St. near Young Street at about 1:30 p.m. when he saw cops chasing a speeding Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle, said his fiancee, Kelly Richards, who works in Able Plumbing's Elm Park office.

After the green 1992 Explorer zipped through the Broad Street intersection, Manzella saw the lights of the pursuing police cruiser and was about to move his backhoe out of harm's way when the cop shouted over the cruiser's external speaker system, "Don't let him through!" Ms. Richards told the Advance.

So Manzella, 30, of Travis, quickly pushed the backhoe's front bucket into the path of the Explorer, driven by Theodore Shearin, 28, who allegedly was high on angel dust.

With the forward route blocked, the cop pulled his cruiser right up to Shearin's bumper to prevent his throwing the Explorer into reverse and escaping.

Boxed in, Shearin continued to rock the Explorer back and forth, slamming repeatedly into Manzella's backhoe and the cruiser, Ms. Richards said.

Again, Manzella outsmarted Shearin, using the powerful backhoe's front bucket to raise the front wheels of the Explorer off the road, rendering the SUV immobile, Ms. Richards recounted.

When the cop closed in to apprehend Shearin, he bolted and jumped into the cop's cruiser -- making a daring attempt to zoom off in the officer's vehicle.

For the third time, Manzella came to the rescue -- pulling Shearin from the cruiser and holding him until the cop could place him in handcuffs, said Ms. Richards, who got the blow-by-blow account from her fiance.

As EMTs and police placed Shearin onto a stretcher, he could be heard screaming, "I'm smoking dust. I was smoking angel dust. I just freaked out," according to witnesses.

Shearin was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, West Brighton, for evaluation and blood tests, police said.

He was charged with reckless endangerment, driving with a suspended license and driving under the influence, a police spokeswoman said.

The Explorer is registered to Danielle Ruiz of Hooker Place, Port Richmond, according to public records. Shearin is listed as residing at the same address.

The arresting officer sustained cuts on his hands during the arrest and was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he was treated and released, police said.

As for Manzella, he simply returned to work.

"The cop said he had a big pair of . . . ," laughed Ms. Richards, saying she wanted to be a lady and avoid vulgarity.

Doug Auer covers police and fire news for the Advance. He may be reached at auer@siadvance.com.



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