A multi-state police pursuit that began in New York concluded in Scranton on Tuesday morning with the arrest of an attempted murder suspect. Authorities say the incident started in Binghamton around 9:15 a.m. after 53-year-old Diriki Birden allegedly fired roughly a dozen shots into an occupied home, severing a gas line in the process. Birden fled the scene in a black Hyundai Santa Fe, leading New York officers on a high-speed chase onto Interstate 81 South. As the pursuit crossed into Susquehanna County and then Lackawanna County, the suspect reportedly traveled at dangerous speeds on the shoulder, nearly causing several accidents and eventually striking a tractor-trailer.
Pennsylvania State Police took over as the primary pursuers once the vehicle entered the state, utilizing multiple tactics to end the threat to public safety. After several unsuccessful attempts to use spike strips, troopers near mile marker 191 in Scranton utilized a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver to force the SUV to a stop. Birden was taken into custody without further incident and faces a litany of charges in New York, including two counts of attempted murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. He remains in Pennsylvania custody awaiting additional charges related to the pursuit and the collision with the tractor-trailer.
Featured Image Photo Credit: WILK