WILMINGTON, MA – New details are beginning to emerge from Wednesday night’s manhunt in town that had much of Wilmington abuzz online.
Around 8pm on Wednesday, an anonymous caller reported two males were sitting in a small SUV parked in the Market Basket parking lot, possibly smoking a Class D substance. The vehicle had New Jersey plates.
Once police located the SUV, the two black males fled from it, leaving behind a loaded handgun.
Police immediately contacted the police departments from surrounding communities, notifying them to cover their town lines. Police requested and received assistance from numerous law enforcement agencies, including the State Police’s Air Wing. K9s, including from Wilmington, Burlington and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, were quickly brought in.
Police posted the following on their Facebook page to alert residents: “There is an active search, with the use of Police K-9 units and Massachusetts State Police Air Wing, for two male parties who fled the area. Call 911 immediately to report any suspicious person(s) you may see in this area behind Main St (Ristuccia Ice Rink/Wilmington Plaza) and Glen Rd area streets.”
Police contacted Hertz Car Rental for information about the vehicle. Police had Forrest Towing tow the vehicle back to the police station.
During the extensive manhunt, a suspicious man was reported in the area of 30 Fay Street and 11 Dobson Avenue. A later caller reported two men running behind 121 and 123 Main Street.
Police caught one of the men (referred to as “the driver” over the police scanner) at 1 Pine Avenue, off of Main Street, right around midnight, four hours into the search.
Wilmington Police arrested Christopher Prophete (20, Cambridge) for carrying a firearm without a license, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The suspect received medical aid from the Fire Department for a dog bite he sustained when captured.
Here’s a photo of the dog that may have done those honors.
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The Wilmington Police Department hopes to provide information to the press and public on this matter in the near future, but do not want to jeopardize their search for the second suspect, who still remains at large.
The information in this article comes primarily from the Department’s Police Log.
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