Salisbury man leads officers on foot chase, smashes through fence

Published 9:34 am Tuesday, November 10, 2015

A Salisbury man allegedly led police on a foot chase and ran through a fence Sunday before being arrested on a number of charges.

Michael Wayne Brooker Jr., 27, of 318 Cedar Drive, was arrested early Sunday morning after an incident that started out as a relatively routine traffic stop. Brooker was charged with possession of a schedule one controlled substance, failure to appear in court on a prior charge and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer.

Initially, Salisbury police stopped Brooker because a license plate wasn’t readily visible on the car. Salisbury Police Department spokeswoman Capt. Shelia Lingle said officers didn’t initially see the temporary tag in the rear window of Brooker’s car, which had been recently purchased.

Officers asked Brooker for his license plate. After checking on his license, officers found two outstanding warrants. Brooker’s license was also suspended, according to police reports.

Officers arrested Brooker for the outstanding warrants and placed him in handcuffs. Police officers searched Brooker and found $684 in cash in one pocket. As the officer moved to another pocket, Brooker allegedly started running while still handcuffed.

Initially stopped on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue near Innes Street, Brooker ran multiple blocks northeast through a residential neighborhood, according to police reports. Brooker ran into a small patch of brush and smashed through a white picket fence with his body, according to police reports.

Eventually, police caught up and used a stun gun to subdue Brooker. Police reports stated Brooker still wasn’t cooperative after being stunned.

Police then returned to Brooker’s right pocket — where they were searching before he ran through the neighborhood.  In the pocket, police allegedly found three grams of heroin.

Salisbury police officers also searched Brooker’s car. They found 32-inch and 23-inch TVs in the trunk. Lingle said police are checking to see if the TVs are stolen.

Brooker remained in the Rowan County Jail on Tuesday under a $122,500 total secured bond. He was also charged with violating a probation from 2014, when he was convicted on multiple charges including delivering or selling drugs.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246