Staff reports 7:36 a.m.
Friday, April 10, 2026 7:31 am

PORTSMOUTH - A Portsmouth man is facing felony charges after he fled from police on Thursday during an attempted traffic stop on the city's Route 1 bypass and was later arrested in Dover.

The incident unfolded around 3 p.m. when state police attempted a traffic stop on the city's Route 1 bypass. The driver did not stop and continued northbound before turning onto Hodgdon Way, according to a release sent out late Thursday. The vehicle then entered a neighborhood near Shearwater Drive and was later abandoned on Blue Heron Drive, with the driver fleeing on foot. The vehicle was identified as a maroon 2005 Buick LeSabre, police say, and the license plates attached to the vehicle were registered to a different vehicle.

State Police then coordinated with officers from the Portsmouth Police Department to establish a perimeter and conduct a K9 track. Drones were used to assist in the search, and a passenger from the vehicle was located and identified. Based on information gathered during the investigation, troopers developed a possible identity for the suspect.

During the search, troopers learned that an uninvolved individual saw the driver exit a wooded area and ask for help leaving the scene. The individual provided a ride to a location in Dover, and the suspect was dropped off at a public business. Troopers shared this information with the Dover Police Department, including a description of the suspect and his possible identity.

Shortly after receiving the information, officers from the Dover Police Department located the suspect, who attempted to flee on foot through several side streets before police caught up with him. Dashawn L. White, 24, of Portsmouth, was taken into custody and turned over to State Police. White was evaluated and cleared at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and later transported to the Strafford County Jail, but jail personnel told The Rochester Voice today that he is no longer there. Rockingham County Jail personnel were not immediately available to confirm he was there. He is scheduled for arraignment today at an unspecified court.

White is charged with Felony-level charges of Reckless Conduct with a Deadly Weapon x 2, and Operating as a Habitual Offender. White will also face Misdemeanor counts of Disobeying a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Mischief, Operating After Suspension for Reckless Operation, Operating After Suspension (subsequent) and Breach of Bail, as well as violation-level Misuse of Plates and Driving Without Giving Proof.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Trooper Clark Brighton at Clark.A.Brighton@dos.nh.gov.