Couple lead police on high-speed chase

Copyright 2005 The News and Observer

The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina)

July 25, 2005 Monday
Final Edition

NEWS; Pg. B1

496 words


Couple lead police on high-speed chase

David Bracken, Staff Writer


A couple led police on a 35-minute chase around Wake County on Sunday morning that reached speeds of 120 mph and ended with three highway patrol cars boxing the vehicle in and forcing it to a stop.

N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. Tony Gibson, who narrowly missed being struck during the chase, gave the following account:

About 9:45 a.m., Trooper Donald Pate pulled over Michael Jermaine Moore, 33, along U.S. 1 northbound just inside the Wake County line.

Moore had been going 95 mph in a 55 mph zone in Chatham County .

Moore had no identification, and following North Carolina law and state highway patrol policy, Pate took him into custody, handcuffing Moore's hands behind his back and placing him in the front seat of the patrol car.

He then walked back to Moore's 2005 Hyundai and informed the woman in the passenger seat, Tina Eileen Brown, 34, that she could follow the patrol car to the Chatham County magistrate's office.

Upon returning to his patrol car, Pate found Moore attempting to get his cuffed hands out from behind his back. Pate called for backup and then attempted to subdue Moore with pepper spray.

After a brief struggle, Moore, who had successfully maneuvered his cuffed hands out from behind his back, fled into nearby woods before running back to his vehicle.

Once inside his car, Moore told Brown to speed away, and she proceeded to lead troopers on a meandering chase along U.S. 1, N.C. 55, Interstate 440 and I-40.

Brown repeatedly avoided stop sticks during the chase, twice swerving toward officers who had placed them in the roadway. Gibson said Brown was inches from hitting him at the intersection of N.C. 55 and 55 Business when she swerved, at 60 mph, to avoid stop sticks.

Troopers then authorized using a running roadblock, in which cars are positioned around the vehicle and force it to stop. Brown rammed three patrol cars before crashing into the median and coming to a stop.

Once troopers approached the vehicle, they realized the couple's 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter were also in the vehicle. Gibson said troopers would not have forced the car to a stop if they had known the children were in the car.

Brown has been charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment. Moore has been charged with aiding and abetting a felony (assault with a deadly weapon), eluding arrest, speeding and driving without a license and assault on an officer.

They are both being held at the Wake County jail. Brown's bail is set at $500,000; Moore's bail is set at $10,000.

Gibson said three patrol cars received about $2,000 damage each during the chase. Gibson said he did not know why the couple decided to flee the traffic stop.

Although Brown was listed at the jail as living in Alexandria, Va., Gibson said the couple are currently living in Oxon Hill, Md., and had just picked up their children.

Gibson said Moore's license was suspended in Virginia. Moore also has an outstanding warrant for petty larceny in Fairfax County, Va.