ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C.,None — "They're still on the run," said Chief Deputy Tod Jones of the Alexander County Sheriff's Office. "We're still looking for them – we're following up on leads."
Phillip Daniel Teague, 42, and his wife, Brandy Jane Stafford Teague, 31, have been entered on the nationwide criminal database because they're wanted for obstructing and delaying an officer. Brandy Teague is also wanted for assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer.
The couple came to the attention of the Alexander County Sheriff's Office at about 2 p.m., when the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office called them to let them know the Teagues were heading to Hiddenite and Phillip Teague was wanted for felony probation violation.
An Alexander County Deputy spotted a car matching the description in Hiddenite and pulled it over. The Teagues gave him false names and told him they could take him to the Vashti area where the people he was after were located.
The deputy followed them. Sgt. Jon Hayes of the Alexander County Sheriff's Office met the deputy with a photo of the Teagues. The deputy pulled them over again this time on Cove Gap Road near Bethel Church Road.
When the deputy saw the photos, he realized the suspect was sitting in the car he'd pulled over twice. Brandy Teague was standing outside of her Subaru Legacy wagon and when she saw the deputy coming her way, she ran back to her car and began to drive away, according to the incident report.
Hayes tried to stop her and grabbed the car. Teague dragged him about 50 feet before he let go.
Hayes was banged up and bruised during the incident, but was not hurt, Jones said.
A vehicle chase ensued, with officers following the Teagues across the Wilkes County line to a house. There, the Teagues jumped from the car and ran into the woods where they split up.
Brandy Teague has family in the Cove Gap Road area and is very familiar with the terrain, according to a media release from the Alexander County Sheriff's Office.
The deputies called for backup and officers were sent in from various local agencies, including Wilkes County Sheriff's Office, Alexander Emergency Management, Taylorsville Police Department, Alexander Rescue Squad, and Vashti Volunteer Fire Department. Troopers and a helicopter from the NC State Highway Patrol also joined the search.
The Alexander County Sheriff's Canine Officer and North Carolina Department of Corrections canines followed scent trails of the suspects. Bethel Baptist Church was opened to officers for use as a command post.
The massive search was called off early Wednesday morning. Officers stayed in the area through the night in smaller numbers to keep a check on the roads.
"We consider them dangerous because they did assault one of our deputies," Jones said.
Anyone with information on the Teagues' whereabouts is asked to call the Alexander County Sheriff's Office at 632-4658 or Crime Stoppers at 632-8555.
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