Locust Police arrest suspect after police chase ends in city neighborhood

Published 2:25 pm Wednesday, August 18, 2021

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Locust Police arrested an individual Wednesday morning following a police chase involving multiple local departments.

At about 11:10 a.m., Locust officers received a dispatch report about a stolen vehicle out of Charlotte traveling eastbound on N.C. Highway 24-27 towards Locust, according to a press release from the Locust Police Department. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police helicopter was tracking the driver.

Locust officers identified the vehicle and attempted to get the driver to stop. But the driver refused and continued driving eastbound at a high speed while pursued by multiple Locust officers.

The driver was utilizing “reckless driving maneuvers and high speeds” as they continued to elude multiple Locust officers. The suspect exceeded 85 mph during the pursuit, Police Chief Jeff Shew said.

Near the intersection of Bethel Church Road and North Central Avenue (N.C. Highway 200), two of the vehicle’s tires were punctured as a result of stop sticks being deployed by officers with the Albemarle and Stanfield police departments.

The vehicle continued traveling down Meadow Creek Church Road, according to the press release, before heading into the Western Hills subdivision. The car then hit a dead-end road and came to a partial stop in a ditch. The driver was the only occupant and was placed in custody at approximately 11:23 a.m. by Locust officers.

There was no damage to any Locust property and no injuries were suffered by any civilians, officers or the suspect. The driver was checked by Stanly County EMS.

The suspect will not be identified, according to the press release, because they claim to be a juvenile. They were turned over to their parents. The stolen vehicle was recovered with the only damage coming from the two punctured tires.

Criminal charges, which will include possession of a stolen vehicle, felony flee to elude, possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, and no driver’s license, will be pursued through Juvenile Justice and the petition process, Shew said.

LPD was assisted in the pursuit by CMPD’s helicopter division, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office and the Stanfield and Albemarle police departments.

About Chris Miller

Chris Miller has been with the SNAP since January 2019. He is a graduate of NC State and received his Master's in Journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously wrote for the Capital News Service in Annapolis, where many of his stories on immigration and culture were published in national papers via the AP wire.

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