2 men arrested, accused of shooting into vehicles of Robeson County deputies

Authorities arrested two Fayetteville men accused of shooting into the vehicles of two Robeson County sheriff’s deputies during a chase.

The chase happened early Monday morning after deputies saw the SUV matched a vehicle description used in several breaking and entering of businesses in the county, according to the sheriff’s office.

Drayton Charles Bauer, 20 and Brandon Hatler, 23 are charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, eight counts of felony conspiracy, two counts of discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle, three counts of safecracking, five counts of breaking and entering, attempted breaking and entering, four counts of larceny after breaking and entering and injury to personal property.

Bauer is also charged with fleeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle.

“It is only by the grace of God that our deputies weren’t killed after these suspects fired multiple rifle and semi-automatic rounds at them while being pursued,” Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in a release. “I applaud the great efforts of our deputies, detectives, local, state and federal agencies working in collaboration with each other to bring this case together.

“The case is now in the hands of the judicial system and we hope justice will prevail.”

Authorities took Drayton Bauer and Brandon Hatler to the Robeson County Detention Center. They each have a $2 million secured bond.

The chase started around 3:20 a.m. Monday in the area of Highway 41 South and Old Stage Road, according to the sheriff's office. The driver of a Nissan Pathfinder refused to stop and multiple shots were fired towards the two deputies in the chase. The sheriff's office said bullets hit both deputies' vehicles while traveling in a residential area on Highway 41 South. The chase then continued onto Interstate 74.

The Robeson County Sheriff's Office did say whether any deputies returned fire. The sheriff's office also did not say how deputies stopped the SUV that Bauer and Hatler were in.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, Fayetteville Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Fairmont Police Department assisted with the investigation.

Anyone with information about the cases are asked to call the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at 910-671-3170 or 910-671-3100.