An early Sunday morning traffic stop took a dangerous turn in Binghampton, leading to the arrest of a convicted felon who pointed his gun at an officer. According to the Action News 5 report, 51-year-old Jonathan King was stopped for obstructing traffic near Faxon Avenue and Carpenter Street when the confrontation occurred.
Police said King, who was pulled over around 3 a.m., drew a handgun and pointed it at the officer before retreating to his car and fleeing the scene. Officers pursued and witnessed King throw his gun out of the vehicle window as he attempted to evade capture. During the chase, the officer maintained distance and followed King until he could be safely apprehended. The disposed firearm was not located, as noted by FOX13 Memphis.
Kings ordeal did not end with the chase. After an ambulance was called to the scene, he was transported to Baptist East Hospital as a precaution before being taken into custody. A subsequent search of King's Lincoln sedan, handled by police officials, uncovered 95 grams of a substance confirmed to be cocaine, 14 grams of powdered cocaine, five grams of marijuana, and 40 Oxycontin pills. This discovery led to additional charges of possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, and sell, according to WREG.
In 2000, King had been convicted for possession of a controlled substance, a fact that only compounded his current slew of charges, which includes aggravated assault on a first responder, evading arrest, felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, tampering with evidence, reckless driving, and various drug possession offenses. His bond was set at $500,000, as both Action News 5 and FOX13 Memphis reported.
King's alleged utterance during the traffic stop, "Don't take me to jail," captured on the officer's body camera, highlights the desperation of the moment. The case remains under investigation as local authorities piece together the details of an event that turned a routine traffic stop into a high-stakes confrontation.
