By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A Cherokee County, North Carolina, sheriff’s deputy was struck by an ATV while attempting a traffic stop on U.S. 64 on Aug. 27.
- The suspect, identified as Thomas Lee Prince, 33, had fled Polk County, Tennessee, on the ATV before deputies located him near Felix Road.
- The deputy returned to his patrol vehicle and continued the pursuit after being knocked to the ground.
- The chase ended on nearby Candy Mountain Road, where a physical altercation occurred and a Taser was deployed before Prince was taken into custody.
- Prince faces multiple felony charges, including assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon and felony fleeing to elude arrest; details of the deputy’s injuries were not released.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. — A Cherokee County sheriff’s deputy was struck by an ATV while attempting to stop a fleeing suspect Aug. 27, then returned to his patrol vehicle to continue the pursuit and ultimately helped arrest the man, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies had been notified that a suspect, later identified as Thomas Lee Prince, 33, fled Polk County, Tennessee, on an ATV and was traveling east toward Murphy, North Carolina, on U.S. 64. A deputy located the ATV and attempted a traffic stop near Felix Road, but Prince fled before the ATV became stuck on the shoulder of the roadway, the sheriff’s office said in an Aug. 29 news release.
The deputy approached and challenged Prince in the roadway. Prince freed the ATV and accelerated toward the deputy, striking him and knocking him to the ground, according to the release. The deputy returned to his patrol vehicle and continued the pursuit.
The chase ended on nearby Candy Mountain Road, where a physical altercation occurred. A Taser was deployed, and Prince was subdued and taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said. Details of the deputy’s injuries were not released.
Prince has been charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, assault on a law enforcement officer inflicting injury, felony fleeing to elude arrest and felony resisting arrest.
Cherokee County Sheriff Chris Wood credited the deputy’s training and composure during the encounter. “I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am that our deputy was not seriously injured,” Wood said in a social media post.