A Monroe police officer suffered a head injury while tackling a handcuffed suspect who tried to run during a search warrant execution at a Monroe apartment on September 22. The suspect, 41-year-old Scottavais Lorenzo Hailey, was taken into custody on multiple criminal charges.
Monroe police said the officer was hurt after executing the search warrant on Hailey, who they say is connected to crimes in both counties, according to WSOC-TV. Officers said Hailey ran from them while still in handcuffs, and the officer struck his head while tackling him to make the arrest, per the station's report. The allegations include kidnapping, discharging a firearm inside the Indian Trail tobacco shop, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Hailey is now being held without bond at the Union County Detention Center, per the same booking records. He faces multiple charges stemming from two separate incidents in Union County, according to WSOC-TV, in addition to allegations from a third incident in neighboring Richmond County.
A String of Robberies Across Two Counties
Arrest records indicate Hailey robbed a Wingstop employee at gunpoint earlier in September, the station reports. Days later, on September 15, he allegedly kidnapped a person during an armed robbery at Indian Trail Tobacco and Vape, making off with hundreds of dollars and discharging a firearm inside the shop, according to arrest records cited by WSOC-TV. That same day, court records show Hailey assaulted and robbed a woman in Richmond County; Rockingham police said he stole a firearm and the woman's purse during that attack.
The allegations against Hailey span Monroe and Indian Trail in Union County as well as Rockingham in Richmond County.
Recently Off Probation From a Prior Robbery Case
Hailey's alleged crime spree came only weeks after he finished probation tied to an earlier conviction. He was sentenced to 13 to 25 months in prison for common law robbery in July 2025, a case tied to a 2023 offense, and was released in December 2025 with jail credit. His probation on that case ended in August 2026, just before the string of alleged robberies began.
Hailey's new charges include robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Fleeing While Handcuffed Adds Another Felony Charge
Police said Hailey ran from officers while handcuffed.
The warrant was executed by Monroe police, a department led by Police Chief W. Rhett Bolen, a 21-year veteran of the force who took over leadership in April 2025 overseeing more than 100 sworn officers and personnel, according to the City of Monroe.
Hailey remains in custody at the Union County Detention Center. No additional details on the officer's condition or the timeline for court proceedings have been released.
