Locust Police Department issued the following announcement on Aug. 19.
At approximately 11:10 am on Wednesday August 18th, the Locust Police Department received a dispatched report of a stolen vehicle out of Charlotte being tracked by a CMPD helicopter unit traveling eastbound toward Locust on NC 24/27. Locust officers identified the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop and continued traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed pursued by multiple Locust officers.
The driver of the vehicle continued to attempt to elude officers utilizing reckless driving maneuvers and high speeds on county roads in Western Stanly County before traveling back toward Locust on Bethel Church Road. Near the intersection of Bethel Church Road and North Central Avenue (NC Hwy 200), officers from the Albemarle Police Department and Stanfield Police Department attempted to deploy stop sticks in an effort to disable the vehicle. One of the tire deflation devices was successful and punctured two of the suspect vehicle’s tires. The vehicle continued traveling down Meadowcreek Church Road with flat tires before traveling into the Western Hills subdivision. In the Western Hills subdivision, the suspect vehicle hit a dead-end road and came to a stop partially in a ditch. The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle was then apprehended by Locust officers without further incident.
No damage to any Locust property was reported as a result of the pursuit, and no injuries suffered by any civilians, involved officers, or the suspect were reported. The suspect was checked by Stanly County EMS at the conclusion of the pursuit as a precaution to assure their well-being. The Locust Police Department was assisted in this pursuit by CMPD’s helicopter division, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanfield Police Department, and the Albemarle Police Department and we thank all involved agencies for their tremendous contributions in bringing this pursuit to a safe conclusion with an arrest made.
The suspect will not be identified as they claimed to be a juvenile. Applicable charges will be pursued through the Juvenile Justice system. The stolen vehicle was recovered with the only damage caused during the pursuit to the two tires that were disabled in order to bring this pursuit to a safe conclusion.
The Locust Police Department again reminds that our officers by policy are allowed to pursue vehicles who fail to stop when our officers have a valid and lawful reason to stop a vehicle. Our officers pursue safely and by policy, but they are authorized to pursue every single time.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Locust Police Department
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