ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — A 43-year-old Louisiana man was arrested Saturday following a multi-county pursuit that ended in a church parking lot and triggered an investigation into a possible explosive device, the Alexander County sheriff said. Law enforcement took Shaun Brian Jones into custody after he reportedly struck a deputy’s patrol vehicle and fled through Catawba and Alexander counties.
The incident began on Saturday at approximately 1:30 p.m. when the United States Secret Service contacted the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for help locating Jones near Riverbend Park. A deputy located Jones, of Grand Isle, La., within minutes, but Jones allegedly struck the deputy’s patrol vehicle and fled the scene traveling north on Highway 16.
The Catawba County deputy lost sight of the suspect’s vehicle following the initial collision and terminated the pursuit, deputies said.
The Catawba County 911 Communications Center then provided updated vehicle and suspect information to Alexander County authorities.
An Alexander County deputy later spotted Jones traveling north on Highway 16 and attempted a traffic stop using emergency lights and a siren.
Jones failed to stop and continued into the city limits of Taylorsville. An officer with the Taylorsville Police Department joined the pursuit before Jones entered the parking lot of First Baptist Church, the Alexander County sheriff said.
Jones brought the vehicle to a stop and, after a brief standoff, was taken into custody without further incident.
Following the arrest, deputies received information indicating a possible explosive device might be inside the suspect’s vehicle.
Hazardous Device Units from the Gaston County Police Department and the Gastonia Police Department were called to the scene to evaluate the car.
After a search, officials confirmed that no explosive device was located inside the vehicle.
During the investigation of the vehicle, authorities temporarily closed roads in the surrounding area.
The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, the Taylorsville Police Department and the North Carolina Highway Patrol assisted with the closures. The Taylorsville Fire Department and Alexander County EMS were also placed on standby as a precaution.
Jones is currently being held at the Alexander County Detention Center. He is under a $90,000 secured bond for the Alexander County charges and a $30,000 secured bond for the Catawba County charges.
His charges include assault on a government official, resisting arrest and failure to stop for a blue light and siren in Catawba County, along with fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle in Alexander County.
Jones is scheduled to make his first court appearance in Alexander County District Court on Monday.
The case remains under active investigation.
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