The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina State Highway Patrol have filed charges following a pursuit this morning that began on I-95 near exit 168 and ended in the Highway 46 area of Gaston, after a trooper executed a successful maneuver that forced the suspects to exit their vehicle and flee.

Both men — Johnathan Nelson, 42, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and Jason Nelson, 42, of Greene, Maine — were apprehended following a brief foot chase, according to Major Anzell Harris of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.

First Sergeant Levern Bynum of the NCSHP said it was a maneuver by Trooper D.J. Brake that ended the pursuit in the Gaston area.

“All the officers involved did an excellent job to put an end to a situation that put the lives of officers and the community at stake,” Bynum said. “It was a great effort by them communicating together to stop the vehicle and prevent any lives from being lost.”

Harris said that around 1 a.m., Corporal R. Lafayette attempted to stop a vehicle on I-95 South for a violation. The driver pulled into a gas station off exit 168 and slowed as if to stop. The driver then rapidly accelerated west on Highway 903, and a chase ensued.

Shortly after the chase began, Sergeant A. Wood was heading to assist in the pursuit when the driver changed directions and began heading toward him. The vehicle veered into Wood’s lane, and the driver attempted to hit him head-on.

Wood shifted positions in the roadway to avoid a collision, but the vehicle followed. Wood performed an evasive maneuver just before impact to avoid being struck head-on; the vehicle then struck the patrol car's push bumper.

Wood’s vehicle remained operable, and he rejoined the pursuit.

Stop sticks were successfully deployed on Highway 48 near Heritage Lane; however, the vehicle continued through the city of Roanoke Rapids and into Gaston. The vehicle then turned onto Highway 46 West until the pursuit ended on Dr. Hall Road following Brake’s maneuver.

Speeds reached over 100 mph during the chase, Harris said.

Johnathan was identified as the driver and Jason as the passenger. Following a search of Johnathan, crack cocaine was discovered inside a crossbody bag.

The sheriff’s office charged Johnathan with felony flee to elude arrest, assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, resisting a public officer, reckless driving, driving while license revoked, and failure to stop at a stop signal.

Brake cited Johnathan for hit-and-run, no operator's license, reckless driving with wanton disregard, driving left of center, failure to wear a seat belt, and exceeding the posted speed limit.

Johnathan remains in the Halifax County Detention Center under a $75,000 secured bond.

The HCSO charged Jason with resisting a public officer.

Brake charged him with failure to give information, allowing an unlicensed person to operate a motor vehicle, and failure to wear a seat belt.

He remains in the Halifax County Detention Center under a $2,000 secured bond.

Both men have district court dates scheduled for November 3 in Halifax County.

HCSO Lieutenant E. Richardson assisted, along with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, Halifax County Emergency Communications, and the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office.