UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A man accused of running over a Monroe police officer during a pursuit in Union County on Friday allegedly threatened to harm a woman and burn her house down before law enforcement stopped him and he shot himself, officials said.
Monroe Police responded to a reported domestic incident in the Brooks Farm subdivision around 10:45 a.m. The 911 caller told dispatchers that the suspect, her estranged significant other, was heading to her home and threatened to cause "significant harm and possibly burn the home down."
Officers spotted the man's vehicle and tried to stop him. The suspect refused to stop, leading officers in a pursuit toward Sunset Drive in Monroe. Investigators allege the suspect attempted to run over an officer before getting to U.S. 74 near Marshville, where he intentionally hit an officer who was deploying a Stop Stick to end the chase.
At this point, the Union County Sheriff's Office joined the pursuit to assist Monroe officers. Lt. James Maye said deputies heard radio chatter about a "dangerous suspect" who posed an imminent threat to life. Maye said deputies knew based on the 911 call that the suspect was potentially armed and threatened at least one person.
Deputies used a "forced vehicle stop" to end the pursuit. As deputies attempted to pull the man out of the car, Maye said the suspect shot himself. The officers began giving him life-saving measures and he was airlifted to a Charlotte hospital in critical condition. The officer who was injured was released from the hospital early Friday afternoon and will be OK, Monroe police said.
Maye said numerous charges are expected against the suspect, who hasn't been identified at this time.
"We're glad that our officers and our deputies were in the right place to prevent the suspect from causing harm to a mother, her children and ultimately cause harm to other innocent drivers and bystanders in our community," Maye said.
The North Carolina SBI was called to question the officers and deputies involved in ending the pursuit to ensure they followed the use of force protocol. Maye said there's no evidence at this time indicating any of the officers or deputies fired their weapons during the encounter.
"All evidence points to the suspect trying to take his own life," Maye said.