UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A man who escaped police custody in Union County in May was arrested Thursday, Union County detectives said.
Cleveland Waters, 41, was wanted on numerous violent felony charges in connection with an attempted homicide in May, the Union County Sheriff's Office said. Waters escaped police custody in handcuffs on May 31 and was able to elude law enforcement for several months until he was captured in Laurinburg, North Carolina, on Oct. 24. Laurinburg is about 90 miles southeast of Charlotte in Scotland County.
Just before 5 a.m. on May 31, officers found a man who had been shot multiple times. The victim was taken to a hospital and survived. Detectives identified Waters as a suspect in the shooting and attempted to arrest him at his home in Waxhaw. Multiple guns were seized from his home along with a "substantial amount" of illegal narcotics, police alleged. However, Waters managed to escape custody before arriving in jail. He was wanted on multiple arrest warrants for charges that include attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.
Waters was tracked down by a task force comprised of the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies. He was taken into custody without further incident on Thursday.
This is a testament to all of these officers' determination, hard work, and willingness to work as a team for the overall safety of our community," Sheriff Eddie Cathey said. "I am thankful another dangerous offender is off our streets and in a jail cell."
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