The man at the center of a high-tension car chase that involved gunfire towards officers and a school bus filled with children is set to appear in a Cleveland County court this Friday. Jeremy Aaron Huffman, 30, led authorities on a pursuit that started in Lincoln County and ended in a crash and his eventual capture near Days Inn in Cleveland County.
According to WBTV, the chase initiated on Wednesday afternoon after deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office spotted a vehicle reported stolen from Catawba County. Huffman allegedly responded to attempts to pull him over by opening fire on the pursuing officers. As the chase spilled into Cleveland County, Huffman is accused of firing shots at deputies and an occupied school bus on Hwy 226 near Shelby.
Deputies deployed stop sticks in an identify effort to disable the vehicle, which led to Huffman wrecking the stolen car at the intersection of Highway 74 and NC 226. "During the chase, Huffman fired shots at deputies and an occupied school bus as it traveled down Hwy 226 near Shelby," noted the release by QCNews. After the crash, Huffman fled into the nearby woods and continued shooting at officers before being apprehended. The arrest video showed him being placed into a patrol car while law enforcement surveyed the wooded area adjacent to the busy highway.
Throughout this harrowing pursuit, there have been no reports of injuries to deputies or those aboard the school bus. Huffman's capture brings a tense closure to the overnight manhunt that ensued following the chase. "A man accused of shooting at officers and leading a chase from Lincoln County into Cleveland County has been arrested," reported WSOCTV. Details on the charges Huffman will face and the exact circumstances leading to the chase are expected to unfold in court.
