Two teenagers face a litany of charges after a multi-agency investigation into a high-speed chase and shots fired toward a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper last weekend in Chapel Hill.

The Durham Police Department shared a release Wednesday afternoon saying its officers executed two search warrants to arrest the pair of juvenile suspects earlier in the day, taking a 15-year-old into custody around 12:30 a.m. at North Holman Street and a 14-year-old into custody around 1 p.m. along East Main Street. During the initial search at North Holman Street, investigators seized four firearms.

On Saturday — after a driver traveling at 113 mph failed to stop for a state trooper along Interstate 40 in Orange County — a trio of suspects were chased by the Highway Patrol into the Timber Hollow Apartment Homes community in Chapel Hill. The group, who the state highway patrol reported were wearing ski masks and driving a stolen vehicle, shot at the trooper in pursuit after exiting the vehicle and escaped into the nearby woods on foot. No one was injured from the incident, but the gunfire struck and damaged several parked cars.

Durham Police issued an alert Tuesday night saying two of the suspects were identified in the 2900 block of Chapel Hill Road in a black Infinity — and struck a Durham Police vehicle in order to flee after officers approached them. The Infinity was later found abandoned along Constitution Drive, but the juveniles were not seen in the area.

As a result of the incident, Chapel Hill Police announced 11 different charges against the juvenile suspects. They are:

  • Attempted First Degree Murder
  • Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill
  • Assault with a Firearm on a Law Enforcement Officer
  • Possession of Stolen Firearm
  • Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle
  • Possession of a Firearm by a Minor
  • Assault by Pointing a Gun
  • Discharge a Firearm into a Patrol Vehicle
  • Discharge a Firearm in City Limits
  • Resist, Delay, Obstruct
  • Four (4) counts of Damage to Personal Property

Chapel Hill Police said in its own release about the arrests that investigators are continuing to work on identifying the third suspect from Saturday. Additional charges against the juveniles are pending from other law enforcement agencies, according to Durham Police. Because of both are under 18 years old, North Carolina law protects the identity of the juvenile suspects — unless their charges are moved up to Superior Court and they are tried as adults.

“I am appreciative for the persistent efforts of the Durham Police Department as well as the Chapel Hill Police Department for their work in apprehending those involved in last weekend’s shooting at a State Highway Patrol Trooper,” said Colonel Freddy L. Johnson Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol.  “The dangers faced by law enforcement officers are evident from the lengths at which these individuals sought to avoid capture, but the tireless work by these agencies in seeking out those responsible once again showcases the resolve of our profession.”

In addition to those agencies, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were all credited with assisting the investigation and apprehension of the two suspects, according to Chapel Hill Police.

In its release on Wednesday, Durham Police clarified that an individual arrested by the North Carolina Highway Patrol Tuesday night along Legion Avenue and Durham Chapel Hill Boulevard was not a suspect in the Orange County case. The department had previously shared an alert on Tuesday indicating the law enforcement activity in the area was related to the investigation.


Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.