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Chainsaw theft in Erwin leads to chase, shots fired at tires
By Rex BarberPress Staff Writer
rbarber@johnsoncitypress.comERWIN — A man and woman from Kingsport suspected of stealing a chainsaw in Erwin were caught after a police officer pursued them down a dead end road Thursday afternoon and shot out their car’s tires.
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Email ArticlePolice said they found the chainsaw, along with more than $500 in other merchandise and a gear shift stick stuffed with marijuana after searching the vehicle driven by Jaime S. Cox, 39, of Kingsport.
The chainsaw was allegedly stolen from Liberty Lumber, located at the corner of Gay and Elm streets in Erwin, just before 12:30 p.m. Thursday. People at the business provided a description of Cox’s vehicle to police. Erwin Police Detective Tony Buchanan saw Cox on Interstate 26 a short time later and attempted to stop him.
Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson said Cox would not stop and got off I-26 at exit 34 and continued on to Phil Hawkins Road, which is a dead-end road.
Tilson said Buchanan knew the road was a dead end and stopped at a curve to wait for Cox to turn his car around and return. Buchanan was out of his cruiser when Cox drove back up. Cox tried to hit Buchanan, Tilson said, striking his cruiser in the right rear quarter panel instead. Buchanan fired his handgun twice at the right front tire of Cox’s car, flattening it.
The car continued a short distance before coming to a stop after rocks on the side of the road flattened both driver’s side tires.
Unicoi County deputies and other Erwin police officers responded as backup and helped arrest Cox, who resisted and received a minor injury to his nose during a brief scuffle, Tilson said.
Cox was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his nose. His passenger, Miriam Daugherty, 44, also of Kingsport, was taken to jail.
Cox was charged with DUI, violation of implied consent, theft, possession of stolen property, driving on a revoked license, felony evading arrest, possession of schedule IV and schedule VI drugs, aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
Cox also had outstanding warrant in Sullivan County, according to Tilson.
Daugherty was charged with DUI by consent, accessory to theft and possession of schedule VI drugs.
Tilson was checking to see if the other merchandise in Cox’s car was in fact stolen.
“It looks like there’s some other items stolen from other businesses outside Erwin,” Tilson said of what was in the car.
One of Tilson’s officers was injured during Cox’s arrest. He was treated and released from the hospital, Tilson said.