NEW LONDON - A Groton man who arrested on eight charges Tuesday, including impersonating a police officer and reckless driving, was let off easy by a New London Superior Court judge Wednesday afternoon.
Bond for Carl Adams, 26, was set at $20,000 following his arrest. But Judge Omar Williams took into consideration that Adams' brother called the court and asked that Carl receive serious psychological help rather than jail time.
Just after 8:30 a.m. Monday Adams was caught on a school bus camera speeding and driving erratically around the bus into an oncoming traffic lane, all while his non-emergency vehicle featured flashing lights and a blaring siren.
"You should be very thankful to the police department," said Judge Williams. "You should be thankful to the media. You should be thankful to the members of the public, all of whom worked very quickly and effectively to bring you in front of me."
Sources tell FOX 61 that when a Groton town police officer turned his car around and tried to chase to Adams, the cop topped 100 mph and still couldn't catch him.
"He wasn't taught to drive that way," said Marie Adams, the defendant's mother.
She reached out to him immediately after seeing video of the vehicle police were looking for on television.
Marie Adams said she told Carl "that car looks an awful lot like yours."
His response, according to his mother, was the car they showed on TV has a black bumper and his is white. That, of course, was not the truth.
Police finally caught up with Adams Tuesday afternoon after tips from the public and diligent work by a police officer.
"If you were in front of me with physical injury to anybody in this case, you would be in custody," said Judge Williams.
Adams, who is married with two children, had his 2-year-old daughter in the car with him as he raced through Groton.
"I don't know what to think because I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet," said Marie Adams as she waited for her son outside the courthouse.
Carl Adams' attorney told the judge his client told him he did not have his daughter in the car. However, the judge had the arrest warrant in front of him.
"Paragraph nine of the warrant alleges, at least by the court's version of the warrant, that there was an admission that he did have his daughter," said Judge Williams.
Adams' lawyer said he wasn't sure which story to believe and, like Adams' brother, recommended a psychological evaluation for his client.
Judge Williams ultimately decided to waive the $20,000 bond and release Carl Adams on a written promise to appear in court again on November 30. He also has to enter the Alternative in the Community diversionary program, which assesses the needs of individuals who are either on probation or are in some way involved in the court system.
