A Jacksonville man was arrested after Kinston police said he fled from a traffic stop, led officers into Jones County and ran into a wooded area.
The Kinston Police Department said its Violent Crime Action Team attempted to conduct a traffic stop around 2:40 p.m. Aug. 5 on Highway 258 South.
Police said the driver, 26-year-old Nijear Nicholas-Singleton of Jacksonville, fled from officers.
Officers pursued the vehicle into Jones County, where police said Nicholas-Singleton abandoned the vehicle and ran into a wooded area on foot. A lengthy search was conducted, but police said he initially avoided capture.
Later that day, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a person matching Nicholas-Singleton’s description running through a residential backyard. KPD officers returned to the area, and a second coordinated search led to his arrest.
Nicholas-Singleton was taken to the Lenoir County Jail and charged with:
Trafficking marijuana, two countsPossession with intent to sell and deliver marijuanaFelony possession of marijuanaFelony flee to elude arrestMultiple traffic violationsMultiple counts of resisting, obstructing or delaying a public officer
Kinston police thanked the Jones County residents who reported seeing the suspect, saying the call provided critical information that helped officers locate him and take him into custody safely.
KPD also thanked the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Police Department, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, New Bern Police Department, Jones County Emergency Management, Lenoir County Emergency Management, Carteret County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Department of Adult Correction for assisting.
The charges are allegations, and Nicholas-Singleton is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.