A man is facing charges after he reportedly attempted to run over a Sampson County Sheriff’s deputy and led law enforcement on a chase through the county following a disturbance call at a Salemburg residence, authorities said.
Michael Austin Williams, 20, of 216 Mckenzie Road, Spring Lake, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, resisting a public officer, driving while impaired, DWI under the age of 21, driving while license revoked, reckless driving to endanger and criminal damage to property (vandalism).
Deputies responded to a disturbance at 230 Bubba Gump Lane, Salemburg, just before 3 a.m. Sunday, according to reports. When deputies arrived, the suspect in the disturbance was leaving the scene in a 2012 Honda CR-Z and was stopped on Bubba Gump Lane.
“As the deputy approached the suspect vehicle, the driver attempted to back over the deputy and fled the scene in the suspect vehicle,” Sheriff’s Lt. Marcus Smith said Monday. “A vehicle chase ensued and continued to the area of Hayne Stretch Road, where the vehicle came to a stop and the suspect was taken into custody by officers.”
Smith later corrected himself, saying the deputy was forced to move out of the way as the suspect vehicle pressed forward, not backward. According to reports, Williams was taken into custody on Woodland Lane, Roseboro.
No officers were injured in the incident and the suspect was placed under arrest. There was an estimated $900 in damage to the rear bumper of a sheriff’s patrol car, a Dodge Charger owned by Sampson County.
In addition to the new charges, Williams also was charged with failure to appear on counts of driving while license revoked and operating a vehicle with no insurance, stemming from warrants issued in December 2014.
He was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center under $38,500 bond.