Pursuit of Hit and Run Suspect at UNC Leads to Shots Fired

Update: This article has been updated to include information from the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation of a hit and run reported on UNC’s campus on Friday night led to officer shots being fired and a cross-county pursuit of a suspect.

Media relations for UNC shared a release Saturday morning with UNC Police Chief David Perry detailing the incident involving one of his officers and a suspect unaffiliated with the university. According to a release from the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, who apprehended the suspect later Friday night, Benjamin Michael Morley is facing multiple counts of felony assault on a government official.

According to the release, UNC Police received a call around 9:15 p.m. reporting a hit and run at the intersection of South Columbia Street and McCauley Street. Authorities said the person struck was a UNC student, but self-reported no injuries following the incident.

Police began to search campus for a car matching the description from the hit and run, which the release described as a blue Jeep-style vehicle with no license plate. According to Perry, one UNC Police officer found a vehicle matching the description traveling west on South Road and attempted to pull it over.

The suspect, who is not identified in the UNC release, refused to stop for the police officer. He then turned right on South Columbia Street and continued driving north before stopping behind a Chapel Hill Fire Battalion Chief vehicle blocking the road on North Columbia Street. According to the university’s release, this vehicle was responding an unrelated gas leak call.  

The UNC Police officer exited his vehicle when the suspect stopped and approached the suspect’s driver side window.

“The suspect refused to roll down the window,” wrote Perry in the release, “despite the officer asking him to do so and knocking on the window. The officer then saw the suspect holding a machete knife in his right hand.”

Perry said the officer reacted by telling the driver to drop the weapon and exit the vehicle. Instead, the suspect accelerated forward and hit the Chapel Hill Fire vehicle before backing up and steering the Jeep toward the responding police officer.

“The UNC Police officer fired toward the vehicle to try to stop the driver from using it to harm him,” wrote the police chief. “The driver then turned the vehicle and fled north.”

The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office received an alert for a wanted vehicle with an armed and dangerous driver. Deputies saw a vehicle matching the description from UNC Police in Graham shortly after 10 p.m. When they attempted a traffic stop, Morley then attempted to flee.

“At approximately 10:12 p.m., the vehicle as stopped near the intersection of Graham Hopedale Rd. and River St.,” said the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office. “During the pursuit, the driver rammed a deputy’s patrol car. As deputies approached the vehicle, the driver lunged through the driver side window swinging a machete at deputies. Two deputies fired at the suspect.”

According to the release, Morley suffered a graze wound on his lower left leg and was removed from his vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

“I would like to extend my thanks to all of the officers involved, including our local partners, for assisting with the incident,” Chief Perry said on Saturday. “We are all grateful that no one was seriously injured.”

Alamance County authorities say Morley will be served arrest warrants upon his release from the hospital. He faces three felony counts assault on a government official and one felony count of fleeing or eluding arrest.

Per UNC, the State Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating Friday’s incident, as is protocol.

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