Three Deputies Hurt After Suspect Rams CCSO Truck

Updated 3:15 p.m.

Three deputies were injured after a high speed chase turned into a collision Tuesday in Chadbourn.
Sheriff Bill Rogers said the incident is under investigation. The deputies were attempting to make a traffic stop around 8:30 p.m. when Deon Shareef Taplin, 29, allegedly fled along Dessie Road. The deputies were part of the CID team focusing on complaints by residents, Rogers said.
Rogers said the deputies were attempting to block Taplin when he struck their county truck, causing it to overturn. He then fled into Chadbourn, where his vehicle was disabled by Chadbourn Police using tire deflation devices. Taplin was captured after a brief foot chase.
One deputy was transferred to Novant New Hanover with non-life threatening injuries. The other two were treated at Columbus Regional.

Chadbourn police Chief Ken Elliot and Mayor Phillip Britt said that the chase began outside the town limits, and circled through town at least twice.

“Crowds of people were coming outside to watch what was going on,” Elliot said, “and we decided to deploy the tire deflation devices to slow the chase before a bystander could get hurt, to lessen the danger to the general public.”

Taplin’s vehicle was finally stopped near the intersection of Institute and West Brown Street, Britt said.
Taplin was held under no bond with two counts of assault of a deadly weapon on a government official; one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury; two counts of assault with a deadly weapon; and multiple traffic offenses. His address was listed as 799 Grist Rd., Chadbourn.

Court records show Taplin is a registered sex offender. He was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor in 2015. The victim was 12. He served three months in prison, and as given credit for time served before being released. As a condition of his release Taplin was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years. He is due to be removed from the list in 2028. The registry shows no violations during his release period.
We have reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information about the chase as well as the names of the agencies involved. This is a developing story.