GUILDERLAND — Guilderland Police tasered Altamont resident Matthew Sand, 22, on Feb. 18 after he, according to his arrest record, fled from police and later elbowed an officer trying to arrest him.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 18, police observed Sand, of 950 Township Rd., driving erratically and passing vehicles at a high rate of speed over the double yellow line on Route 146 in Guilderland Center, according to his arrest report.

Altamont Police Chief Todd Pucci said that it was Guilderland Police who saw Sand driving erratically in Guilderland Center, and that they had put out a call over the radio asking officers in the area to be on the lookout for his car.

The arrest report says that Sand was seen by an Altamont officer speeding through the village, and that Sand “did flee from a marked police car with its emergency lights on.”

The Altamont officer was Jason Johnston, who told The Enterprise that he briefly drove, for a few seconds, at 60 miles per hour through the village, in an effort to pursue Sand, but quickly dropped the pursuit out of concern for the safety of village residents.

He saw Sand turn onto Maple Avenue, Johnston said, and later saw him turn right onto either Whipple or Bozenkill.

Johnston located the car on Whipple, he said, parked “somewhat in a sideways position” in a residential driveway, and saw Sand “attempting to flee the area on foot.”

Sand was placed into handcuffs and into the back of Johnston’s patrol car, to wait for Guilderland officers to arrive, Johnston said.

When the offiecrs arrived, Sand was uncuffed and given a number of field-sobriety tests, all of which he failed, said Johnston; he was then told to place his hands behind his back and that he was under arrest for driving while intoxicated, the Guilderland arrest report said.

Sand then “did pull his arms in front of his body, and clenched his fists,” the Guilderland arrest report says, adding that Sand then said, “Please don’t do this to me, can’t you just drive me home?”

Sand “refused to put his hands behind his back and fought with officers,” according to Guilderland’s arrest report.

During the incident, Sand struck an officer in the face with his elbow, causing injury, according to the report.

Sand was taken first to the police station for processing and then to Albany County’s jail on an overnight hold until his arraignment on Feb. 19.

He was charged by Guilderland Police with assault with intent to cause physical injury to an officer, a felony; first-degree operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of .08; first-offense operating a vehicle while intoxicated; aggravated driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol content of .18; reckless driving; and resisting arrest, all misdemeanors; and for speeding and failing to obey a police officer, both infractions.

He was also charged by Altamont Police in the same incident. Johnston said,  with reckless driving, a misdemeanor, and with speeding and failing to obey a police officer, both infractions.

Attempts to reach Sand were unsuccessful.  

This is not the first time that Sand fled from police, according to Altamont Enterprise blotter records.

Matthew Sand was also arrested by Guilderland Police on May 24, 2016 and charged with possession of marijuana and reckless driving, both misdemeanors; he was seen speeding and driving recklessly before he tried to “evade a patrol car”; he drove to 2080 Western Ave., got out of his car, and went in the building, the arrest report says. An officer then approached his vehicle and saw a glass pipe containing marijuana in plain view, according to the report. The officer then “observed Sand traveling at a high rate of speed once again,” and stopped him at the intersection of Regency Park and Western Avenue and arrested him on the two misdemeanor charges.