Nash County NC trooper killed trying to stop high-speed chase

Via Cousin John

And the picture they inadvertently left out................



ASSAULT ON FEMALE 14-33
ASSAULT W/DEADLY WEAPON 14-33

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WRAL
VERBATIM POST

A Nash County trooper died Saturday morning while trying to deploy stop sticks during a high-speed chase that covered parts of Wake and Nash counties, authorities said.

According to the state Highway Patrol, trooper Bobby G. Demuth, a 12-year-veteran stationed in Rocky Mount, died while trying to deploy the sticks near Spring Hope in Nash County shortly after 8 a.m.

"We're all family. We're all brothers and that's why it is so tragic to have to report on something that occurred this morning," said First Sergeant Jeff Gordon, the Highway Patrol's public information officer. "When something like this happens, it really brings to light and you really do realize the dangers that are involved. We lost an invaluable member today."

Authorities arrested 40-year-old Christopher McCoy Rodgers, of 102 Outterbridge Road, Williamston, shortly after he hit Demuth.

A Raleigh police officer started following Rodgers, who was driving a 1995 Nissan 200SX on Interstate 440 near the U.S Highway 264 bypass, around 7:45 a.m.

The chase began a few minutes later on the Highway 264 bypass near Wendell and ended around 8:30 a.m. near N.C. Highway 581 in Spring Hope, about 20 miles away on N.C. Highway 64, authorities said.

The Raleigh Police Department took a secondary role in the pursuit once the Wake County Sheriff's office attained position and withdrew from the chase in Franklin County as other departments became available.

Authorities said that prior to the chase, Rodgers forcibly restrained a female and her 21-month-old child shortly after midnight Saturday morning and barricaded them into a room. The victims' ATM card was later found to have been stolen and used in the 800 block of South New Hope Road after Rodgers fled. The victim was able to free herself to call for help.

Raleigh police said Rodgers was wanted on charges of burglary, common law robbery, obtaining property by false pretenses and two counts of kidnapping from an incident Friday night.

North Carolina Department of Transportation officials said U.S. Highway 64 is now open in both directions after being closed for nearly eight hours.

No other information about the chase or the charges was released. It wasn’t clear if Rodgers or other officers involved were injured.