Updated 1 p.m.
An automobile was the weapon of choice in an alleged assault Monday that left one person trapped and seriously injured.
Warrants and arrest reports show Earl James Whitman Jr., 43, was processed into the county detention center at 2:41 p.m. He is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and property damage, according to arrest reports. His address was listed as 119 Fairfield Dr. East, Whiteville.
Whitman is alleged to have used a Chevrolet Cavalier in an attempt to run over Mickey Ray Duncan and Jonathan Edward Sealey at a home on Thompson Town Road, reports show. He also damaged around $500 of livestock fence belonging to Tony Hobbs at the same location.
The sheriff’s office said deputies were initially dispatched to a disturbance at the property. While en route, they were informed that one person was trapped under a vehicle.
The N.C. State Highway Patrol, Chadbourn Fire and Rescue, Whiteville Rescue, and Airlink also responded to assist. EMS crews removed the victim from under the vehicle. The victim sustained serious injuries and was airlifted, the sheriff’s office said in a press release. He remains in critical condition.
CCSO Detectives and the State Bureau of Investigation secured the scene, the press release said.
Court records show Whitman was previously arrested on charges of possession of crystal methamphetamine. He was also arrested in 2024 after allegedly burning a rug, mattress and chairs at his mother’s residence and threatening to burn the home. Whitman also assisted in the arrest of a break-in suspect at his home in 2025, when his dog detained the suspect until law enforcement arrived.
