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The suspect who lunged at Alamance County deputies with a machete also drove his car at UNC officers that same night, according to a statement from UNC Police Chief David Perry.
At 9:15 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, UNC police received a call about a hit and run on campus at South Columbia and McCauley streets.
The suspect was reportedly driving a blue jeep with no license plate when he struck a UNC-Chapel Hill student, Perry said. The student didn't report any injuries as a result of the collision.
A UNC police officer located the vehicle traveling west on South Road and tried to pull it over. The driver, Benjamin Michael Morley, 39, of Mooresville refused to stop, officers said.
The officer pursued the vehicle, and Morley ended up stopping behind a Chapel Hill Fire Battalion Chief vehicle on North Columbia that was responding to an unrelated call.
The officer approached the driver's side of the car, but the suspect wouldn't roll down the window, Perry said. He added that the officer noticed a machete in the suspect's right hand.
The officer told Morley to drop the machete and exit the vehicle, but he instead sped forward and hit the fire vehicle before backing up and driving toward the officer, Perry said. The UNC officer fired at the vehicle to try to protect himself, according to the statement.
After that, Morley drove away. He is not affiliated with UNC, the university said in a statement.
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Later that night, deputies with the Alamance County Sheriff's Office located the vehicle in Graham.
As deputies pursued the vehicle, Morley rammed a deputy's car, the Sheriff's Office said.
At 10:12 p.m, the vehicle stopped near Graham-Hopedale Road and River Street. When deputies approached the driver's side of the car, Morley reportedly lunged at them, swinging a machete, according to the press release. Two deputies responded by shooting at him, the Sheriff's Office said.
Morley had "a grazed wound on his lower left leg," the release said. It's unclear which officer shot him.
Morley was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
He is being charged with three counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon on a government official and one count felony flee/elude arrest. He will be arrested and taken to the Alamance County jail once he is released from the hospital.
The deputies involved are on administrative leave and are being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation, which is typical protocol.
This article originally appeared on Times-News: Police: Suspect drove at UNC police before lunging at Alamance deputies with machete
