Two teenagers are in custody after an assault and chase in Durham and Chapel Hill.

Both suspects were wanted in connection with a multi-county chase in which a North Carolina State Highway Patrol (SHP) trooper was shot at.

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On Saturday, when officers with the Durham Police Department (DPD) were called to the 2900 block of Chapel Hill Road during a vehicle pursuit.

Durham police received information that wanted juveniles, ages 14 and 15, were seen in a black Infinity in the area – which authorities said was stolen.

Investigators tracked down the the car in the 900 block of Constitution Drive, but the suspects had already fled.

Troopers later located them, in another car, and chased them into Chapel Hill.

As they drove in to Chapel Hill, the people in the car began firing at the trooper – striking several parked cars in an apartment complex on Timber Hollow Court near Mendel Drive. 

The three people in the car, all wearing ski masks, jumped out and ran when they reached a dead end on Mendel Drive. The suspects fled on foot and a subsequent search followed.

At approximately 12:30 a.m., on Wednesday Durham police executed a search warrant in the 300 block of N. Holman Street. A 15-year-old suspect was arrested, and four firearms were seized.

Around 1:00 p.m., a second search warrant was carried out in the 900 block of E. Main Street, leading to the arrest of a 14-year-old suspect.

Both juvenile suspects are facing multiple charges in Chapel Hill, including:

  • Attempted first-degree murder
    • Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
      • Assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer
        • Possession of a stolen firearm
          • Possession of a stolen motor vehicle
            • Possession of a firearm by a minor
              • Assault by pointing a gun
                • Discharging a firearm into a patrol vehicle
                  • Discharging a firearm within city limits
                    • Resist, delay, obstruct
                      • Four counts of damage to personal property

                        The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be filed.

                        The individual taken into custody Tuesday by the North Carolina Highway Patrol at Legion Avenue and Durham Chapel Hill Blvd was not a suspect in the Orange County case.

                        NCSHP Colonel Freddy L. Johnson Jr. commended the efforts of law enforcement, saying, "I am appreciative of the persistent efforts of the Durham Police Department and Chapel Hill Police Department for their work in apprehending those involved in last weekend’s shooting at a State Highway Patrol Trooper. The dangers faced by law enforcement officers are clear, and the tireless work by these agencies in seeking out those responsible highlights the resolve of our profession."