A domestic disturbance call at a Cary shopping center escalated into a police chase Sunday that ended with a wanted man arrested. Police officers were called to the Cornerstone Shopping Center on High House Road after reports of a domestic disturbance, and two people involved drove away from the scene before officers could sort out what happened.
When officers tried to pull the car over, the driver instead sped off, and WRAL reported that the arrest occurred near the intersection of Southwest Cary Parkway and Old Apex Road.
No Evidence of Assault, But Old Warrants Surface
Despite the chase, police said there was no evidence of a domestic assault at the scene. Still, the driver was taken into custody and now faces new charges including fleeing arrest, and the report notes he also had several outstanding warrants for his arrest.
The Apex Police Department policy describes procedures and authority for executing criminal process, according to the Apex Police Department. The policy identifies NCAWARE as the statewide repository for unserved criminal processes and separately describes CJLEADS. That framework helps explain why the man ended up in custody even after investigators found nothing to substantiate the original domestic assault report.
How Fleeing Charges Work Under North Carolina Law
Fleeing or eluding a law enforcement officer in North Carolina starts as a Class 1 misdemeanor under N.C.G.S. § 20-141.5, carrying up to 120 days in jail and a license suspension of up to one year, according to the Powers Law Firm. That charge is treated as a specific intent crime, meaning prosecutors must show the driver knowingly ran from police.
The offense can escalate to a Class H felony, which carries the potential for active prison time, if two or more aggravating factors are present, such as speeding more than 15 mph over the limit, reckless driving, gross impairment, or driving on a revoked license, per the UNC School of Government. State law also requires every police agency in North Carolina to maintain a written pursuit policy spelling out safety factors officers must weigh before chasing a vehicle, according to FindLaw. Carolina Attorneys also notes that felony speeding to elude can result in vehicle forfeiture.
Domestic Calls and Local Resources
Cary Police maintain a Special Victims Unit that handles follow-up investigation on domestic calls, according to the Town of Cary.
