What started as a routine seat belt check on the streets of Dunn ended with a Range Rover speeding away at more than 105 mph over the legal limit, a loaded handgun tossed from the vehicle, and a 40-year-old Fayetteville man facing six criminal charges. Antonio D'Andre Langston was arrested Tuesday after the chase wound through town and finally stopped on Greenfield Drive.
According to The Daily Record, the traffic stop began over a seat belt violation before Langston allegedly sped off, driving recklessly as officers pursued him through Dunn. Police say he blew through a stop sign during the pursuit before the chase finally ended on Greenfield Drive. Officers say Langston reached speeds more than 105 mph above the posted limit before the Range Rover was brought to a stop and impounded at the scene.
Officers with the Dunn Police Department, identified as A. Kornegay and C. Chavis, recovered a loaded handgun that police say was thrown from Langston's vehicle during the chase, along with a magazine that reportedly accompanied the weapon. The Dunn police chief personally assisted officers searching for the Range Rover as the pursuit unfolded, per the same account. Inside the SUV, officers also found between $1,700 and $1,800 in cash, though police say the money was not linked to any criminal activity at the time of Langston's arrest.
Why the Seat Belt Alone Was Enough to Pull Him Over
Officers didn't need to witness a moving violation to make the initial stop. Under North Carolina General Statute § 20-135.2A, an unbuckled driver or front-seat passenger is a primary enforcement violation, meaning police can pull a vehicle over for that reason alone, according to BuckleUpNC.org. The state pioneered this kind of enforcement decades ago: North Carolina launched the nation's first statewide “Click It or Ticket” campaign in 1993, a push that lifted statewide seat belt usage from 64% to 80% in just its first three weeks, per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Harnett County arrest records show Langston, who lives at 3537 Hastings Drive in Fayetteville, was booked into custody Tuesday facing six charges. Those include felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, possessing a gun as a felon, reckless driving, failing to stop at a stop sign, failing to wear a seat belt, and littering, the latter stemming from Langston's alleged discarding of the firearm on property he did not own.
Why the Range Rover Was Seized on the Spot
The Range Rover's impoundment traces to North Carolina's “Run and You're Done” law, formally N.C.G.S. § 20-141.5, which the North Carolina General Assembly enacted in 2011. The statute requires law enforcement to immediately seize any vehicle driven by someone charged with felony speeding to elude arrest, according to the UNC School of Government. Lawmakers designed the law specifically to deter high-speed pursuits by putting offenders' property on the line.
If Langston is convicted, the Range Rover could ultimately be sold at public auction. Under § 20-141.5(k) and related state forfeiture statutes, vehicles seized during felony pursuits become subject to forfeiture upon conviction, with net proceeds after seizure and storage costs going to local public school funds, per the Coolidge Law Firm.
What Langston Could Be Facing in Court
Fleeing to elude arrest jumps from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class H felony when at least two statutory aggravating factors are present, such as speeding more than 15 mph over the limit or driving recklessly, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. A conviction on that felony charge carries a potential 25 to 39 months in prison under state structured sentencing guidelines, along with a mandatory license revocation of at least one year, the Stowe Law Firm notes.
The firearm charge adds its own exposure. Possessing a gun as a convicted felon is a Class G felony under North Carolina law, punishable by up to 31 months in state prison, according to the Charlotte Weapons Defense Attorneys. Federal prosecutors could also choose to adopt the same firearm allegation under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which carries a maximum federal penalty of up to 15 years in prison, though whether that will happen in Langston's case remains an open question.
The Dunn Police Department, which conducted the stop and chase, is currently led by Chief of Police Timothy “Lynn” Gay, appointed by city leadership in January. It is not yet clear what led to Langston's underlying felony status that triggered the gun possession charge, nor whether the cash found in the vehicle will factor further into the case moving forward.
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