OFFICERS CHASE, APPREHEND WANTED SUSPECT

Photo by Jon Mayhew/TCS
Friday morning, Lincolnton Police Sgt. Willie Vaughn and Officer
Tony Potts teamed up to apprehend a fleeing suspect on Laurel Street.

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLNTON -- It was a routine patrol Friday morning for Lincolnton Police Sgt. Willie Vaughn and Officer Tony Potts until about 11:20 a.m.

Sgt. Vaughn and Officer Potts were driving on South Laurel Street when Vaughn recognized Wade Anthony Rippey walking down the street.

Potts and Vaughn pulled near Rippey, with Vaughn getting out of the vehicle.

That's when things became interesting.

"I asked him to come here, that I wanted to talk to him," saud Vaughn. "He said some sort of expletive then took off running."

The chase was on. As Potts was following Vaughn from behind the wheel of the police vehicle, Vaughn chased Rippey on foot northbound on South Laurel Street.

Rippey may haven't had anything to lose by his next move; he darted across four lanes of traffic, dodging Sgt. Vaughn and ending up running southbound down South Laurel Street.

Vaughn said the chase wasn't over by a longshot.

"Officer Potts made a U-turn in the street and caught up with Mr. Rippey," said Vaughn, adding he apprehended Rippey near the intersection of S. Laurel St. and Rhoades Street.

Rippey was wanted on a warrant out of Lincoln County for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and a probation violation charge out of Buncombe County. He was taken to jail and held without bond, as he will be extradited to Buncombe County.

His court date in Lincoln County district court will be Nov. 12. On the Lincoln County warrant, bond for Rippey was set at $2,000 secured.

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