Authorities: Man shot dog, hid among students while fleeing Durham deputies

Shermaine Maurice Hammond, 22, was taken into custody about a mile from where deputies had stopped a speeding car on Mineral Springs Road at Gibson Road.

When the car was pulled over, Hammond jumped out and ran through a wooded area, authorities said.

Deputies said they heard gunshots in the woods and found a German shepherd that belongs to a local resident had been shot.

"You've got a suspect who jumps and runs from a vehicle stop and immediately you hear shots fired, we start worrying about the citizens of the county and the neighborhood, and we want to immediately get that person into custody," Maj. Don Baker of the Durham County Sheriff's Office said.

The dog was shot in the mouth and is expected to make a full recovery.

Oak Grove Elementary School was locked down for a short time because of the gunshots and the search for Hammond.

K-9 units helped track Hammond to Duck Pond Court, off N.C. Highway 98, where authorities found him trying to hide behind some students heading home from school, authorities said. The students told deputies he had asked them to cover for him by saying he had been playing basketball with them, authorities said.

No gun was found when he was arrested, and authorities were searching the area for the weapon.

Charges against Hammond are pending.

The driver of the car that was stopped, Reginald Lee McCallum, 28, received a speeding ticket.