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Man flees on foot from police

 

REPORTER FILE PHOTO The Shelter Island Police has called off a search of a man who fled from a traffic stop on Wednesday morning.
REPORTER FILE PHOTO The Shelter Island Police has called off a search of a man who fled from a traffic stop on Wednesday morning.

A man stopped by police on Wednesday morning fled and is still at large.

According to Shelter Island Police Chief Jim Read, the man was stopped while driving a truck into the Recycling Center for carrying an uncovered load of debris, some of which was flying out of the back of the vehicle.

After failing to produce identification, the man drove his truck deeper into the Recycling Center property and then “bailed,” Chief Read said, heading into some woods on foot.

The Police Department has several outstanding traffic warrants on the individual and he’s also wanted in Southold for outstanding warrants.

The chief said the truck, which is owned by the man’s employer, was impounded.

Southold brought over a K-9 unit, but the search was called off at about 4 p.m. with the man was still on the run, Chief Read reported.

“For us, we have to look at the totality of the crime and how many resources we want to put into it,” the chief said, adding that the man is wanted for traffic violations and “not a jailbreak.”

Thursday there was a routine traffic safety checkpoint on the Island and “ people assume it had something to do with the incident,” Chief Read said. “It didn’t.”