Mo-ped stop results in three-hour suspect chase
By Gary Popp
Published in News on May 19, 2011 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
Highway Patrolman Mike Conley points in the direction in which a suspect took off after ditching his mo-ped off Westbrook Road and running into a wooded area near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base on Wednesday afternoon. He is seen with several deputies from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
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Randy A. Johnson
A Mount Olive man was arrested after a three-hour manhunt in Goldsboro Wednesday afternoon.
Randy A. Johnson, 27, Stanley Chapel Church Road, has been charged with misdemeanor assault on a government official, resisting an officer and several traffic violations. He was placed under an $8,000 bond at the Wayne County Jail.
A state trooper stopped Johnson around 3:30 p.m. near the intersection of Arrington Bridge and Westbrook roads for operating a motor scooter without wearing a helmet, state Highway Patrol First Sgt. Jerry Burton said.
During the routine stop, the trooper found a large quantity of pseudoephedrine in Johnson's possession, Burton said.
Pseudoephedrine is used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.
Burton said the trooper collected the boxes of pseudophedrine, then Johnson grabbed the substances from the trooper.
The trooper tazed Johnson, Burton said, but the man was able to pull the prongs off of his body and continue running toward the woods on the west side of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
A manhunt involving the Highway Patrol, Goldsboro Police Department, Wayne County Sheriff's Office and Air Force base security force continued over the next three hours.
A Highway Patrol helicopter brought in from Raleigh was used to assist in the search, Burton said. K-9 teams from the police department and Sheriff's Office also were used.
Burton said boxes of the drug dropped by the suspect were helpful during the search. He said the air support was eventually called off because the pilot and copilot were unable to see into the wooded area.
Johnson remained out of sight of authorities until he stepped out of the woods on Slocumb Street where he was spotted by a guard at the Air Force base.
Burton said Johnson then ran back into a different wooded area off Slocumb Street.
Johnson eluded authorities for another hour until he again stepped out of the wooded area, this time near Best and Stephen streets, where he was apprehended by a Goldsboro police officer, Burton said.
Burton added that the multiple agencies were crucial in locating and arresting Johnson.
"It was a joint effort. We worked really well together," Burton said.