What began as a routine traffic stop in Bladenboro on Monday turned into a full-on manhunt when deputies say a handcuffed driver jumped into an officer's unmarked patrol truck and took off, triggering a multi-agency search and a wave of lockdowns across the Dublin area.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 32-year-old Katrale Sampson of Pembroke. He is being held without bond on multiple charges at the Bladen County Detention Center.
According to WECT, Bladenboro officers pulled over a vehicle around 5:42 p.m. Monday. Warrants say Sampson, who was already in handcuffs, managed to get into the department's unmarked 2020 Chevrolet Silverado pickup and drive off. As he fled, the truck's bumper and fender allegedly hit the officer's leg and side.
Those same warrants also accuse Sampson of taking $1,100 from the officer, along with the officer's stainless-steel handcuffs. Deputies later found the patrol truck abandoned and empty on Marsh Road, near the Robeson County line, WECT reports.
Lockdowns and a long search
Once the truck was discovered and a be-on-the-lookout alert went out, the search widened fast. Bladen County deputies deployed drones and spent the night patrolling the area, while dispatchers ordered brief lockdowns at West Bladen High School, Bladen Community College and several nearby churches and schools as tips began to roll in, according to WWAY.
Residents reporting possible sightings helped law enforcement narrow the search zone toward the county line, as multiple agencies fanned out across rural roads and wooded areas.
Tip brings suspect into public view
The break came Tuesday morning. A caller told dispatchers they had followed the vehicle to a convenience store across from Bladen Community College, identified by authorities as Champs Gas Station on Highway 41. There, a witness reportedly pulled the suspect from a car before he bolted into nearby woods.
Deputies arrested Sampson around 10:30 a.m. near Highway 410, just outside Dublin, and took him into custody at the Bladen County Detention Center, WECT reports.
Charges and court records
Court documents and filings reviewed by The Charlotte Observer say the unmarked Bladenboro patrol truck was equipped with blue lights and a siren and was valued at about $30,000.
Local police and the Bladen County Sheriff's Office have charged Sampson with assault with a deadly weapon on a government officer, larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of heroin, resisting a public officer, felony larceny, misdemeanor larceny and related drug-paraphernalia counts. Court filings also include a larceny-by-employee charge tied to an allegedly stolen license plate from his employer, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Community response and next steps
Officials credited quick-thinking residents and rapid alerts for helping track Sampson in a remote stretch of Bladen County, according to WWAY. From school lockdowns to late-night drone flights, the community and law enforcement spent the better part of a day trying to end what started as a traffic stop and turned into a rolling search.
The case now moves through the Bladen County court system. Prosecutors and local police have not yet provided a timetable for Sampson's initial court hearings.
