Man arrested after downtown Raleigh police chase ends on Western Boulevard

Ronie Demitri Hyman, 22, is charged with larceny of a motor vehicle, felony speed to elude, hit and run and careless and reckless driving.

He was transported to the Wake County Detention Center after being treated for injuries at WakeMed.

During Hyman's first court appearance, his attorney, Abraham Fapajuwo, said Hyman is mentally ill and refuses to take his medications.

Fapajuwo did not argue with a request to raise Hyman's bond to ensure that he remains in custody.

Hyman has a lengthy criminal history, including a charge of trying to run over a police officer with a stolen car in 2017.

Meanwhile, questions remain about the massive police response to Hyman's Monday theft of a vehicle.

At about 4:30 p.m. on Monday, about 20 police vehicles raced down Western Boulevard during rush hour. They were later seen surrounding a GMC SUV.

The Raleigh Police Department has strict guidelines about police chases and are generally only allowed to engage in a chase if a suspect poses a threat of imminent physical harm to themselves or others.

One officer fired his weapon, but Hyman was not hit.

Witnesses said some of the tires had been blown out and that the car was starting to catch on fire right before it crashed.

"It was like out of a movie scene," one witness said. "It was crazy. It was scary, but everyone was ok."