Raleigh Officer Hurt in Foot Chase Across Beltline

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Raleigh police officer remained in serious condition Wednesday morning with injuries suffered when a car struck him as he darted across the Beltline in foot pursuit of a suspect near the near Hammond Road interchange.

Officer Steven John Salina, 24, spotted William Davis Henry while Salina was on patrol about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on the section of the Beltline where I-40 and I-440 run together, Raleigh Police spokesman Jim Sughrue said. He said Salina knew Henry was wanted for failure to appear in court on a begging charge.

Salina parked at the bottom of the ramp to Hammond Road and got out to arrest Henry when Henry ran up the ramp and across the Beltline, Sughrue said.

Salina, who had radioed that he was chasing someone, ran after the suspect when a Dodge Calibre driven by Kendall R. Smith, 17, of Raleigh struck him. She stopped and will not face any charges, Sughrue said.

Salina was taken to WakeMed.

Henry continued to flee after the crash, but he was caught a short time later, Sughrue said. In addition to the warrant for not coming to court, Henry will be charged with resisting arrest and with felonious possession of a financial transaction card, which police said they found in his possession when they arrested him.

Authorities temporarily shut down the westbound lanes of I-40 near Hammond Road. They reopened the road just before rush hour.

A wreck in the same location killed a Raleigh police officer nearly five years ago. Officer Charles Paul died in September 2002 when he lost control of his motorcycle after catching a draft from a tractor-trailer. He was chasing a speeding car at the time.