A vehicle pursuit in Sampson involving a habitual felon ended with wrecked vehicles and a foot chase, with sheriff’s officials saying Sunday’s incident was yet another reminder that no traffic stop is routine.

Around 3 a.m. Sunday morning, Sampson County Sheriff’s deputies observed a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo operating suspiciously within the Roseboro area, near Brantwood Court. When the driver spotted deputies, he began attempts to elude them, according to reports.

”During their observation of the driver, they observed him fail to stop for two stop signs. Deputies activated their lights and emergency equipment and the driver failed to yield,” Sheriff’s Lt. Marcus Smith said. “During the incident, the driver struck one of the deputies’ patrol vehicles, causing damage in an attempt to continue to flee.”

After striking the deputy’s vehicle, the vehicle was then forced off the roadway by deputies “to prevent him from endangering the public or officers safety further,” Smith noted.

The driver fled the vehicle on foot, but was apprehended by officers a short time later. Authorities identified the driver as Carlos Lajuan Murphy, 42, a convicted felon who was in possession of a stolen firearm. Court records show he was released from prison earlier this year after an eight-year stint.

The driver also had outstanding warrants on file for shoplifting and misdemeanor larceny from Johnston County. Additionally, he also was wanted out of Cumberland County for shoplifting, resisting a public officer and assault on an officer. In Sampson County, he also had an order for arrest for a parole violation served on him.

Murphy, whose address is listed as 902 W. Railroad St., Selma, was charged by the Sampson agency with assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, possession of firearm by a felon, fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle and served an order for his arrest for the parole violation.

Additionally, Murphy was served the warrants out of Johnston County on two counts of misdemeanor larceny and three counts of shoplifting/concealment of goods, as well as warrants out of Cumberland County on failure to appear on charges of resisting public officer, assault on a government official and shoplifting/concealment of goods.

Murphy was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center under $84,000 secured bond.

“Officers never know the dangers they will encounter on a daily basis and this serves as a reminder that no traffic stop is ever routine,” Smith remarked.

According to the N.C. Department of Corrections, Murphy has convictions dating back to 1993 in five counties: Cumberland, Sampson, Bladen, Pender and Mecklenburg. They run the gamut from drugs and weapons charges, to forgery, breaking and entering and larceny, assault, assault on a femaleand assault on policeman, among others.

His last conviction came in 2010 in Cumberland County for being a habitual felon, two counts of common law robbery and speeding to elude arrest. His sentence began in April 2010 and he was released in March 2018, eight years later, court records indicate. His parole was set to end at the end of 2018.

Woman arrested in assault

In a separate incident, a Clinton woman was arrested for allegedly assaulting an officer attempting to serve an outstanding traffic warrant, according to authorities.

A deputy went to a residence on Warren Road, Clinton, to served an outstanding traffic warrant on Shakeyia Denise Eddington, 22. Upon arrival, the deputy observed the female suspect fleeing on foot carrying a small child. He pursued after Eddington and was able to stop her and remove the child, a 4-year-old boy, safely from her custody. The female struck the deputy with a closed fist during the incident.

The incident happened at 1 a.m. Friday, reports state.

Eddington, of 1393 Warren Road, was charged with assault on a government official, child abuse (non-assaultive) and resisting public officer. Eddington was taken into custody at her Clinton-area residence.

Her bond was set at $4,900 secured.

“It’s sad to see the female was more concerned about fleeing from officers than she was the safety of her own child,” Smith stated. “We are thankful that the female was taken into custody without further incident and deputies were able to retrieve the child safely.”

Deputy A.T. Cox was listed as the victim in reports. Coincidentally, Cox was also a victim of assault in a separate case earlier this month, in which a motorist being pursued in a multi-county chase July 10 rammed into his vehicle and a second deputy’s as they conducted a “rolling road block.” That maneuver is one in which all lanes of traffic are blocked through the use of pacing vehicles as a last-resort effort to stop a pursuit.

Two patrol vehicles and the suspect vehicle, which was stolen, were all severely damaged in that incident.

Murphy
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_Murphy.jpgMurphy
Woman arrested in separate officer assault

By Chris Berendt

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Managing Editor Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2587.