Taunton Man Wanted for Numerous Crimes Arrested After Chase

TAUNTON — A Taunton man wanted for multiple crimes, two involving a firearm, has been arrested after being chased by authorities.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office says Thomas Holland, 32 as of August 11, of Taunton, was discovered staying at a hotel in Norton on Friday. Massachusetts State Police Troopers of the State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section had developed information of Holland's whereabouts and established surveillance on the hotel.

Holland was wanted by multiple law enforcement agencies for a shooting in Manchester, New Hampshire, in September of 2017; for waving a firearm at people on Taunton Green on June 2 and then breaking into and hiding in an apartment in an attempt to evade capture; and in connection with a large amount of crack cocaine recovered in a motel by Danvers Police on August 1. In the latest incident, Holland was able to flee.

Holland had been arrested after the incident in Taunton in June after he was found by police hiding in the shower of the apartment he had broken into. However, Holland posted bail and failed to appear at his arraignment in Taunton District Court.

After confirming Holland's presence at the hotel in Norton on Friday, Troopers, along with Norton and Raynham detectives, witnessed Holland and a woman in a car in the hotel's parking lot. Officials attempted to stop the vehicle, which was being driven by the woman with Holland in the passenger seat, before the vehicle approached Bay Street at Route 495 in Taunton. Police boxed in the suspect vehicle with their cruisers, however, the vehicle backed into a cruiser as officers tried to apprehend the occupants.

The suspect vehicle managed to escape the roadblock, striking an unmarked Norton Police cruiser in the process.

Police tried to stop traffic on Bay Street in order to prevent an accident while further attempts to blockade the suspect vehicle were made. The vehicle then intentionally struck a Norton Police Detective cruiser.

The vehicle then hit a third cruiser before accessing the ramp to Route 495 southbound. The car was weaving through all lanes of the highway, including the breakdown lane, at high rates of speed before exiting at Route 138 and then entering onto Route 495 again.

That's when police caught a break, as traffic before the exit to Route 24 was heavy enough to prompt Holland to jump out of the vehicle and run north on 495. As he ran, Holland tried opening doors of other vehicles as they were stopped in traffic.

State and local police surrounded Holland and arrested him without further incident in the middle lane of Route 495. Holland was arrested on three outstanding warrants from previous incidents, as well as new charges of resisting arrest and attempted carjacking.

The driver of the suspect vehicle, Brittany Pasternak of Somerset, was also arrested. Pasternak is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and malicious destruction of property.