Mount Olive officer clipped at checkpoint
By Nelson Bland
Published in News on April 7, 2014 2:08 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- A Mount Olive police officer narrowly escaped injury recently when the driver of a pickup truck suddenly accelerated as the officer was preparing to arrest him at a traffic checkpoint.
The officer's name was not disclosed because he is an undercover investigator with the police department.
Police said the suspect, Brandon Carey "Murdock" Manuel, 27, 4660-B U.S. 117 Alt., Dudley suddenly drove off when officers told him there were some outstanding warrants for his arrest.
The nature of those warrants was not listed on the police report.
Manuel was apprehended a short distance away, according to police. He was charged with kidnapping for accelerating the truck that caused the officer to fall into the vehicle briefly.
Manuel was also booked for assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a government official and felony possession of a controlled substance.
Police said several objects that had been thrown from the vehicle were recovered. The report did not specify what those items were, but noted that officers confiscated 3.3 grams of cocaine and a pair of scales during the arrest.
Manuel was taken into custody at the intersection of Northeast Church Road and the Old Mount Olive Highway near the location of the checkpoint.
According to a police report, the incident occurred when law enforcement officers were conducting "a multi-agency checkpoint" on the Old Mount Olive Highway at Corporate Drive just north of town.
Police said when Manuel was made aware of the warrants he fled the checkpoint in his truck "causing one of the officers to become removed from the roadway and fall into the vehicle."
According to the report, the truck traveled "a short distance before the officer was able to remove himself from the vehicle."
Police said that after a quick chase the suspect was taken into custody.
The Wayne County EMS was called to evaluate the officer's condition as well as to back up law enforcement units at the scene.
After the officer was released by the EMS both he and Manuel were transported to the Mount Olive police station, according to police.
Manuel was later transferred to the Wayne County Jail at Goldsboro and placed under a $50,000 bond.