A North Carolina State Trooper was killed Saturday morning deploying stop sticks to halt a driver wanted for a variety of felony charges including kidnapping, burglary and robbery stemming from an incident that occurred Friday night.
Trooper Bobby G. Demuth, a 17-year veteran of the highway patrol, was killed when the vehicle hit him being pursued hit him on U.S. Highway 64 in Nash County, according to the local newspaper The News & Observer, published in Raleigh.
The suspect Christopher McCoy Rodgers, 40, Williamston, had lead police on a 20-mile, 30 minute chase that began in Raleigh in an attempt to elude police in a 1995 Nissan 200SX, according to the newspaper.
The suspect, who was being pursued by several agencies in the area, was wanted on charges of burglary, obtaining property by false pretenses, burglary, common-law robbery and two counts of kidnapping from an incident that occurred Friday night, the paper reported. There was no additional information available on the incident that sparked the chase.
According to police reports, the chase started at 7:44 a.m. on U.S. 64 when the Nissan sped away from a traffic stop. A regional alert was issued as the vehicle continued into Nash County where sheriff’s vehicles joined the pursuit.
The suspect’s Nissan took an exit, crossed a bridge and traveled the wrong way on an exit ramp resulting in the vehicle traveling east in the westbound lanes of U.S. 64, state troopers told the newspaper.
Demuth, the deceased trooper, and others were placing the stop stick, but the Nissan didn’t stop and crashed into Demuth, speeding away after the collision later wrecking on U.S. 64 near Interstate 95, according to the newspaper.
Gordon, the suspect, jumped out of the Nissan and ran before he was captured and taken into custody, according to reports. Authorities have not said what charges will be lodged against Gordon as a result of fatality.
Demuth was stationed at the Rocky Mount, Troop C District 1 Highway Patrol Office. Details of any services or memorials were not complete Saturday afternoon.
