High-speed chases through the urban arteries of our towns often read like a script for a blockbuster, but the real consequences can be dire, with risks not only to those pursued but to the innocent bystanders who are unfortunate enough to be caught in the tumult. This scenario played out in Mooresville, NC, this past Wednesday, when local police attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle that chose flight over the compliance typically expected in these routines.
The Mooresville Police Department shared on their Facebook page, recounting the incident that commenced with a traffic stop for fictitious registration and equipment violations, the ensuant refusal leading the officers on a pursuit south on I-77 the chase culminating in the suspect vehicle colliding with the median barrier in Cornelius, sparking a physical pursuit after the suspects fled on foot not before the vehicle's two occupants declined to stop, thus prompting the authorities to pursue them down the interstate.
The pursuit ended when the driver, identified as 20-year-old Julius Dwayne White of Charlotte, NC, was cornered following a K-9 track, and his passenger, Tyler Kyharie Moore, also of Charlotte and aged 22, was detained after a brief chase. The stolen nature of their vehicle was uncovered soon after, originating from Belmont, NC, along with a firearm and a collection of items typically associated with auto theft.
White faces serious charges including Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon, Speeding to Elude Arrest, Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Resist, Obstruct and Delay a Police Officer, and numerous additional motor violations, and after being apprehended he was delivered to the Iredell County Detention Center, where his bond was set at $75,000 Moore, the passenger, was charged with Resist, Obstruct and Delay of a Police Officer and was similarly ushered to Iredell County Detention Center, his bond determined at $3,500.
