Local

Drivers shut down Alexander County intersection during unsanctioned street takeover

ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — Law enforcement in Alexander County said as many as 100 people took part in an unsanctioned street takeover event this weekend.

Cell phone video shows the large crowd gathered at an intersection along Highway 127 near the Bethlehem community on Saturday night. Deputies with the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office said the intersection was shut down by drivers doing donuts.

Taylorsville police told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty they believe most of the vehicles drove nearly 60 miles from the Charlotte area to the rural county of about 35,000 people.

After law enforcement busted the gathering, deputies and police pursued several of the drivers, including one instance where a patrol car was hit. No one was hurt. The driver has not been arrested.

“I sure, as well, don’t want anyone in the public hurt,” said Chad Pennell, chief of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office. “It is very dangerous for them blocking intersections, because we could have emergency traffic, someone trying to get to the hospital, we could have all kinds of things.”

After another chase, Taylorsville police arrested a Cornelius man who was in possession of an assault-type rifle and several dealer tags. Officers said they believe folks involved were using the tags so law enforcement couldn’t identify them.

Dwight Helton lives near the intersection on Highway 127. He couldn’t believe so many people would come to Alexander County for something like this.

“I would like for them not to cause a ruckus or anything,” Helton told Channel 9. “Really not cause any trouble or anything. … Kind of behave yourself.”

Sheriff Pennell said his department is looking at ways to better respond to incidents like this. He said the takeover this weekend was like nothing he’d seen before.

Other locals who saw the video hope for swift punishment when arrests are made.

“To me, I think every single one of those people ought to go to jail for it,” Tim Phillips told Channel 9. “All of them. Every single one of them.”

(WATCH BELOW: CMPD: Arrests made, guns and drugs seized amid street takeovers in Charlotte)