A man has been arrested in Burke County following a vehicle pursuit and foot chase Tuesday evening (September 5). The man’s identity has not been made public.

Shortly after 7:20 p.m. yesterday, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office was informed of a high-speed chase in McDowell County that was about to enter Burke County on Interstate 40. Marion Police were in pursuit of a gray Jeep traveling at speeds of 90 miles per hour. During the chase, law enforcement deployed stop sticks that deflated two of the Jeep’s tires.

The Jeep exited I-40 at Burkemont Avenue and then proceeded to Williams Road. The vehicle traveled to the end of Williams Road and crossed over a private field where the driver, a white male, jumped and ran into a wooded area.

Law enforcement was told that the vehicle was stolen and the driver was a person of interest in a felonious assault that occurred in Madison County. The driver was considered armed and dangerous.

Law enforcement set up a perimeter along the wooded area, I-40, Enola Road, Walker Road, Pete Brittian Road, and the J. Iverson Riddle Center. Burke County Sheriff’s Officers used a drone to search the wooded area, assisted by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol’s helicopter.

At about 4:25 the next morning (September 6), Troopers with the Highway Patrol saw a white male looking into cars in the parking area at one of the cottages on the J. Iverson Riddle Center’s property. When Troopers approached the man, he ran across the campus with what appeared to be a gun in his hand.

Troopers on I-40 saw the man run across the interstate toward Government Drive. Shortly before 5 a.m., the man was spotted in a field across from the Burke County Jail on Government Drive. He was taken into custody at 5 a.m.

No additional information has been released. The investigation is ongoing.