ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Two deputies are recovering from injuries and a man is behind bars after a bizarre incident unfolded Tuesday morning in eastern Rowan County.
According to a release from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called shortly before 9 a.m. to help Stanly County authorities with a police chase that ended near Panther Creek and Bringle Ferry roads in eastern Rowan County.
Unrelated to that crime, while deputies were conducting traffic control on Bringle Ferry Road, a man came out of his house and began behaving erratically, officials said, which drew the attention of Sgt. Jagger Naves and Master Deputy Dalton Miller.
The two deputies said they thought the man might be having mental health issues or was impaired.
A few minutes later, the man, identified as 29-year-old Stavros Evangelos Feredinos, drove down his driveway in a silver 2019 Volkswagen Jetta to his mailbox. He then got out of the car and started singing and making hand gestures toward the two deputies. Authorities said Feredinos then dropped his pants, flashing his buttocks.
He then got back in his car and began backing up the driveway, which is when Naves and Miller stopped him out of concern for his safety, according to the sheriff’s office. When questioned by the deputies about his actions, Feredinos complained that he had been cooped up for 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic and apologized for his behavior.
The deputies then tried to get information from Feredinos so they could call a family member about the incident but were unsuccessful, according to the release.
Feredinos kept trying to get back into his car to retrieve an item, which led to a physical confrontation with the two deputies. Both Naves and Miller shocked Feredinos with a Taser stun gun in an effort to get him under control, but that did not work, officials said.
Feredinos was able to get into the driver’s seat of the Jetta -- with the two deputies stuck between the open driver’s door and the driver’s seat -- and began backing up his car toward his house.
Miller was dragged about 60 feet on his back. His head hit the driveway, knocking him unconscious, according to the sheriff’s office. Naves’ foot was run over by the Jetta, causing an injury.
Deputies who were investigating the chase scene saw what was happening and immediately ran over. According to the release, a Stanly County deputy was nearly run over by the Jetta as it was speeding across the front yard of the home. That deputy shot at the car, striking the left rear tire.
Feredinos drove about 3.5 miles on Bringle Ferry Road into Davidson County, where it was stopped by Stanly and Rowan deputies, officials said. The left rear tire of the Jetta was shredded.
During the pursuit, Feredinos threw marijuana drug paraphernalia and other items out of the vehicle, some of which was recovered by deputies, authorities said.
According to the release, Naves and Miller were both taken to Novant Health-Rowan Medical Hospital for treatment. Naves was released, and Miller was still being evaluated for his head injury.
The release said that evidence collected at the scene included Miller’s bloody body armor and gun belt, which showed he had been dragged. Miller’s gun had significant damage.
Feredinos was charged with two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious bodily injury, one count of felony assault with a deadly weapon on a government officer, two counts of misdemeanor resist, obstruct and delay, and one count of felony fleeing to elude arrest.
He was taken to the Rowan County Detention Center, where he’s being held on a $2 million bond.
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