An alert Vermont state trooper from Addison County, who was on special foot patrol in downtown Burlington, is credited with the apprehension of a wanted dangerous, reckless Bristol driver, named in several pending arrest warrants, authorities said.

Patrick Cota, 32, sped away from both the Addison County Sheriff’s Department and the Middlebury Police on Friday during separate incidents in Salisbury and Middlebury, officials said. 

Cota hit speeds up to at least 100 miles per hour putting himself, the public and law enforcement in jeopardy, police said.

Cota has a long history of trying to outrun each law enforcement agency in Addison County and Hinesburg Police with his reckless driving, officials said.  They said he is not even supposed to be on the road because his driving privileges are suspended. 

“He was creating so much danger,” Addison County Sheriff Michael Elmore told Vermont News First.

“Something needs to happen,” Elmore said about his constant efforts to outrun police and put public lives in jeopardy.  Besides speeding, Cota passes on the left and right and does not care about the community members, the county sheriff said.

Citing public safety concerns, the officers in each incident Friday cut short their pursuits due to the reckless nature of the driving by Cota, police said.  Elmore said Cota was weaving and operating at speeds of 100 miles per hour on U.S. 7.  A deputy sheriff had first spotted Cota on Lake Dunmore Road about 12:25 p.m., Elmore said.

It was about 20 minutes later that Middlebury Town Police spotted Cota on Vermont 116, but they also discontinued the pursuit for safety reasons when Cota was driving at 90 miles per hour, Patrol Sgt. Nathan Hayes said.

It was almost two hours later that State Trooper Taylor Demick, who is assigned to the New Haven barracks, got the eyeballs on Cota on foot in Burlington, State Police Sgt. Sean Hauter reported.

Demick was working an extra shift with troopers in downtown Burlington on Friday when he happened to spot Cota and was aware he was wanted for various past criminal charges, police said.  State police, along with a nearby Burlington Police officer, were able to take Cota into custody near City Hall Park, police said.

The series of pending arrest warrants had bail totaling about $9,500, Sgt. Hayes said.

Hayes reported Cota also will face new criminal charges from the Friday incidents in Middlebury and Salisbury.   As far as the Middlebury case, Hayes said, Cota is expected to face charges of attempting to elude police, negligent operation, violations of conditions of release and driving while his license is suspected.

Burlington Police lodged Cota on the older charges at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans pending arraignment Monday in Vermont Superior Court in Middlebury.

Cota tried unsuccessfully to outrun state troopers and a BPD officer about 2:30 p.m., Interim Burlington Chief Shawn Burke said.  The foot patrol agreement with the Vermont State Police in Burlington require the city police to do the court paperwork for arrests and any prisoner transports. 

Prison records show Cota has criminal charges pending in Addison, Chittenden and Rutland County. 

Cota also received a new court citation on Friday for a charge of retail theft in Addison County, Hauter said.  Hauter said Cota was identified as a suspect in a theft of about $30 in merchandise from the Dollar General in Ferrisburgh on Nov. 3. 

Cota was ordered to appear in court on Jan. 5 for the shoplifting charge.