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FROM STAFF REPORTS
Charges are pending against a Hampton man following a police pursuit where the driver reached speeds hitting 100 miles per hour, according to a release from the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office received multiple reports Tuesday morning about an elderly man who was behaving oddly and driving recklessly in the Hampton area. Callers reported the man was cutting other drivers off, illegally passing vehicles, making lewd gestures, and yelling at other motorists.

A vehicle matching the description was located near Main Street in Hampton and officers attempted to perform a traffic stop. However, the suspect fled in the vehicle, turned onto U.S. 19E and headed toward Elizabethton at speeds of 80 and 90 mph. The driver then turned onto River Road and then Jenkins Hollow Road before once again turning northbound on U.S. 19E, eventually reaching a speed of about 100 mph, according to the release.

When the pursuit reached a clear area of the highway where no other motorists were present, deputies performed a “Precision Immobilization Technique” (PIT) maneuver, and the vehicle came to a stop. The driver then exited the vehicle and aggressively wielded a pair of scissors, but deputies took him to the ground and restrained him.

The man was taken into custody and transported to a local medical center for evaluation.