A car chase in Chapel Hill on January 14 led to a felony arrest of a Virginia resident and the seizure of nearly half a gram of cocaine by law enforcement officers.

According to Capt. Joshua Mecimore, a public affairs officer with the Chapel Police Department, the chase started when emergency dispatchers were notified of an erratic motorist.

“Someone saw this vehicle driving in a reckless manner and called 911 to report it,” stated Mecimore.

That motorist may have been Tommy Lee Randolph, who was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

“An Orange County deputy saw the vehicle, got behind it, tried to stop it,” explained Mecimore. “Our officers then got behind it as well, and that’s when the pursuit began.”

After local and county law enforcement officers moved to interdict the vehicle, the suspect continued the chase on foot with K-9 units in pursuit.

“The suspect got out of the vehicle, fled on foot, and after a short time, one of our K-9 officers was able to locate him,” cited Mecimore.

The arrest report on Randolph lists 15 charges against him that include speeding to elude arrest, passing in the face of oncoming traffic and driving on the wrong side of the road.

Narcotics officers allege that Randolph was driving without a license while in possession of 0.4 grams of powder cocaine and an open container of alcohol.

In the state of North Carolina, possession of a stolen vehicle, speeding to elude arrest and possession of cocaine are regarded as felonies.

Randolph allegedly refused medical treatment following his arrest and was taken into custody at the Orange County Jail with a secured bond of $40,000.

His trial date at the Orange County Courthouse is pending.

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