FOUR OAKS – One officer was hospitalized and several patrol cars were damaged during a high speed pursuit this morning (Thursday) through Johnston and Harnett counties. Just after 10:00am, Four Oaks Police got behind a car leaving Travelers Inn on Highway 96 near US 701. Police noticed a registration issue with the license plate and attempted to stop the driver on the I-95 southbound entrance ramp at US 701.
The male driver appeared to slow down, as a female passenger held her hands out the window. At this point, police said they were concerned the female may have been in the car against her will.
Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated southbound on Interstate 95, reportedly tossing a gun and suspected narcotics out the window.
While traveling through Erwin, Erwin Police attempted to deploy stop sticks. The fleeing suspect turned around and struck the pursuing Four Oaks officer in the left front bumper. The female passenger fled on foot through a field but was quickly apprehended.
As the chase continued on Highway 421, the suspect collided with a marked Highway Patrol cruiser and an unmarked trooper’s SUV before wrecking in the median. The driver was detained.
An Erwin police officer at the scene of the accident became ill and was transported to the hospital for evaluation. At last report, police did not know if the officer suffered a medical emergency, or if he may have accidentally overdosed after coming into contact with suspected narcotics in the suspect’s vehicle.
The name of the driver and passenger involved in the chase has not been released, pending completion of the investigation.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the pursuit.
Can touch this: training to correct police officer beliefs about overdose from incidental contact with fentanyl
https://healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40352-021-00163-5
Just contacting or breathing around suspected narcotics is not the issue. You would have to consume to fentanyl to be affected by it.
A good article that gets the perspective from an undercover narcotics officer.
https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/health-and-fitness/2023/02/fentanyl-sarasota
I pray the officer will be ok. As far as the other goes, I hope he takes a 105 MPH long drive off a short pier into shark infested waters. Nothing for the people he could have killed or the LEOs. Had a gun or guns he should not have had so what was he going to do with that???? Yea take a guess and whatever your answer is, you are probably correct. Thank you to all our LEOs for the thankless job you do but I thank you and pray you go home safe every night.
Where is the update. Why is the names being withheld from the public. Why
Why are names being withheld? Supposed to be public record!