A woman who had been declared missing by Maine State Police earlier in the day was arrested after eluding a Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy during an attempted traffic stop in Windham on Friday.

At 3 p.m., Deputy Lucas Hallett attempted to stop a Jeep Commander on Route 115 in Windham. According to Chief Deputy Naldo Gagnon, Hallett was attempting to stop the vehicle to check the well-being of the operator, Angela Harrison, 38, of Greene. According to information disseminated by the Maine State Police earlier Friday, Harrison was considered suicidal and was headed to Windham. State police had given Windham area law enforcement authorities a description of Harrison and her vehicle.

When Deputy Hallett spotted Harrison’s vehicle on Route 115 at 3:22 p.m., Harrison initially stopped on Route 115 but then proceeded on to Emerson Drive, a side road. Hallett approached the vehicle but Harrison didn’t respond to verbal commands. The deputy broke the driver’s side window and sprayed Harrison with pepper spray. Harrison then drove off back onto Route 115 toward Gray at speeds reaching 85 mph. A tire deflation device was deployed by another deputy approximately four miles away from the traffic stop; however Harrison drove around the spike strip and continued toward Gray and entered the Maine Turnpike.

At some point during the pursuit, Gagnon said, Harrison dialed 911 from her cell phone and spoke to a Maine Department of Public Safety dispatcher at the Gray barracks. The dispatcher was able to convince the driver to pull over and surrender to police.

Harrison was taken to the Cumberland County Jail and charged with eluding an officer, reckless conduct with a motor vehicle, criminal speeding and failure to submit to arrest and detention.

Angela Harrison