Callahan was sentenced to a 40-month federal prison term in April 2011, but released just 3 months later.
Timothy Callahan, 31, of Ludlow, is facing several serious charges after fleeing police as they attempted to arrest him on a federal warrant. (Springfield Police Dept. booking photo)
Updates a story posted Sunday at 8:35 p.m.
SPRINGFIELD — A Ludlow man who was sentenced to a 40-month federal prison term in April 2011, but released just three months later, is in jail again following an incident that sent one city cop to the hospital for treatment.
Timothy B. Callahan, 31, was taken into custody this past Thursday following a car chase that spanned several city neighborhoods after police spotted him and knew of an active federal warrant.
Callahan was facing the possibility of a 15-year federal prison sentence stemming from a 2008 incident in which he sold an illegal gun to a federal informant when a 40-month sentence was handed down. It is unknown why he was released after the short stint behind bars. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow confirmed the Callahan arrested last week was the same person, but said he could not comment further.
According to Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchett, Lt. Trent Duda and Det. Thomas Kakley were returning to the station after making an arrest in the latest city murder on Dec. 6 when they saw Callahan at a red light at the corner of Wilbraham Road and Eastern Avenue.
"As the officers approached the passenger side of his vehicle he made eye contact, smiled and put his car in reverse and gunned it – striking the vehicle behind him at the light," Delaney said. "Then he put it in drive and drove toward the officers, who were able to dive out of the way."
Delaney said Kakley sustained injuries to his hand that later required stitches.
Callahan allegedly then led officers on a high-speed chase through the area until police called off the pursuit in the interest of public safety, according to Delaney.
"We had officers working construction duty on Bradley Road who were able to relay his whereabouts," Delaney said. "Then they picked up his trail again on Allen Street and pursued him as he drove west."
Delaney said that police were dispatched to Noel Street in the city's Forest Park neighborhood, where Callahan once lived. And sure enough, Delaney said, Callahan pulled behind 17 Noel St. and ran into the house, where police chased him and took him into custody after a brief struggle.
In addition to the federal warrant, Callahan was charged with several counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, failure to stop for a police officer as well as traffic law violations. He was arraigned in district court on Friday and remanded to the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Callahan has a lengthy criminal record and is no stranger to police in Western Massachusetts. He also previously cooperated with state and federal authorities on cases, including the 2010 murder trial of Paul Fickling, who admitted to committing several murders along with his uncle, serial killer Alfred Gaynor.
It is unclear when Callahan will appear in federal court to answer the warrant. Breslow said no dates had been scheduled as of Monday.
The Republican staff reporters Conor Berry, Jack Flynn, and Buffy Spencer contributed to this report.