Holly Springs man charged with assaulting Coats police chief

Coats, N.C. — A Holly Springs man has been charged with assaulting Coats Police Chief Eddie Jaggers Tuesday evening, police said Thursday.

Stefon Stewart, 43, of Holly Springs Road, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, fleeing to elude arrest, forceful trespassing, aggravated driving, injury to public property and carrying a concealed weapon.

After a vehicle fled a licensing checkpoint, Jaggers chased it for 8 miles until the vehicle became stuck in a creek near a mobile home park off N.C. Highway 27, authorities said.

A man jumped out of the vehicle, and Jaggers began to handcuff him when the man hit Jaggers over the head with a stolen handgun, police said. The man then fled into some nearby woods.

K-9 units tracked the man down about a mile away, and he was arrested, authorities said.

Jaggers was treated at WakeMed and released.

Stewart was released from parole supervision last month following a 1994 conviction on a second-degree rape charge, according to state Department of Correction records. His criminal record dates to the mid-1980s.

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Stolen handgun? Felon? Where are the charges for possession of stolen goods and the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

blossom3100
November 19, 2009 7:51 p.m.

I suspect that the chief, if faced with a similar life or death situation in the future, will choose a more effective weapon than a taser if that was the case.

edandsusan
November 19, 2009 5:25 p.m.

A story on the Fayetteville Observer website said Eddie tried to shoot Stewart with a tazer and it misfired at which time Stewart hit him in the head knocking him unconscious. Two different stories - wonder which one's closer to the truth.