MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — A police chase from west Charlotte to Mount Holly in Gaston County ended with the suspect swinging a branch at an officer, according to officials.
Authorities told Gaston County bureau reporter Ken Lemon that police in Charlotte spotted the suspect’s vehicle Tuesday morning in west Charlotte.
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Officers recognized the car because they said they tried to pull it over a week ago after the driver allegedly ran a red light, but the driver sped off.
>> WATCH Ken Lemon's report above on what charges the suspect is facing.
On Tuesday, officers in the Freedom Division spotted that same car and were able to pull it over. When they ran the tag, those officers realized that the car had been reported stolen.
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Officials told Channel 9 that police spotted marijuana in the vehicle before the suspect got back in the car and took off.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s helicopter followed the vehicle onto I-85 and into Gaston County while officers followed on the ground.
The driver eventually pulled into a Mount Holly neighborhood and tried to run from the car. Police caught up with him about 100 yards away, where they said the man picked up a large tree branch and swung it at an officer.
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He was quickly taken into custody and no officers were hurt, according to authorities.
Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the scene in Mount Holly and could see the driver being placed in handcuffs and loaded into the back of a patrol unit.
Landscaper Shannon Horton saw a portion of the chase as it moved through Mount Holly.
"He was doing anything within his power to get away," she told Channel 9.
Police say he nearly hit a police officer directing traffic at an accident scene and almost hit an ambulance.
He finally hit a house on Rankin Avenue and stopped the car in the back yard under some trees. He got out, jumped the fence at Pam Richardson's home and came face to face with her pets.
"I'm glad my dogs were out there," Richardson said. "I had to door unlocked for them so they could come in and out. So the guy could have just come in my house."
The suspect's name has not been released. Additional charges from last week's incident, as well as drug charges, are expected, police said.
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