1/16/22 Mount Olive, NC – Suspicious Person At Walmart – Suspect Jumps Into And Steals Police Car – Pursuit Of Stolen Police Car Resulted In Crash Of Pursuing Patrol Car – Officer Airlifted – Injuries – Suspect Captured Late

A Mount Olive police officer who was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville after crashing a vehicle while chasing a hijacking suspect on Saturday was released on Sunday.

Police Chief Jason Hughes said officers were called to the Walmart in Mount Olive to deal with a suspicious person. Upon arrival, officers contacted the suspect, Edward Carter Batts of Warsaw.

Batts then jumped into one of the police vehicles and drove away. Officer Angel Yeoman pursued the hijacking suspect and stolen police car traveling South on U.S. Highway 117 toward I-40.

Officer Yeoman lost control of the car she was driving and crashed at exit 355 on I-40. Batts continued to flee and was apprehended a short distance away.

Yeoman was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center. She has since been released from the hospital to recover at home.

“I would personally like to extend gratitude to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Warsaw Police Department, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Faison Fire and Rescue, Emergency Medical Personnel, and our Dispatchers for getting our injured officer the help she needed and assisting with this investigation,” said Chief Hughes in a statement. “Everyone at the Mount Olive Police Department is very grateful for the outpouring of prayers and phone calls we received with concerns for the injured officer.”

Batts is being charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, felony flee to elude arrest, felony larceny of a motor vehicle and damage to property. He is being held under a $40,000 secured bond.