We Had Ourselves a "High Speed" Police Chase Yesterday Starring a Mad Man At The Wheel Of a John Deere Tractor That Lasted For More Than An Hour
The chase began in Boone during the 9 am hour, in the area of Highway 421 in the city limits. The tractor driver reportedly hit at least two vehicles and pushed a dumpster into a church building, according to scanner dispatches at the time.
The chase continued, at speeds around 20mph, down Elk Creek Road until just after 10 am. The tractor driver fled on foot and was caught in the 4600 block of Elk Creek Road, according to scanner dispatches at the time
We've got ourselves a John Deere tractor police chase. These are the moments we live for. I actually can't stop laughing at the video below. You could tell me this was a police motorcade and I'd buy it no problem. My man just hauling ass at a brisk 20 mph and they can't catch him!
Now I don't consider myself a morning person in the slightest. I like to imagine if I were a cop working the early shift I'd be looking for any kind of irrelevant busy work to do that didn't involve actually putting real time and effort into the job. Get some coffee, have a couple two, tree donuts, and drive around some super quiet streets knowing zero people are going to be out and about. Basically treat it like when I worked at Modell's Sporting Goods and would just hide on the floor for as long as I could before I had to deal with real people. The last thing I would want to deal with is a deranged lunatic "speeding" down the highway causing all sorts of chaos with his John Deere tractor. 9am is FAR too early to be handling a goddamn tractor chase.
I'm wrong a lot and that trend does not stop here. For starters I saw a police chase involving a wild man at the wheel of a tractor and immediately assumed Iowa. I mean this story has to have taken place in Iowa. It's got Trent written all over it. Nope, turns out we're in North Carolina for this one. I guess close enough? Also, you'd think a "high speed" 20mph tractor chase would last all of a few minutes. Turns out this man had a super tractor and kept that son of a bitch going for more than an hour!!
Shooting out the tires? Stop sticks? Nothing and I mean nothing runs like a Deere. This man was having a Grand Theft Auto Hall of Fame run. Five stars and they couldn't touch him. Thought maybe they'd bring out the helicopter at some point and get him from the air, but it appears he made the big mistake of getting out of the impenetrable tractor. You never get out of the tractor.
Arrested was Ronnie Hicks, according to Boone Police Chief Andy Le Beau. Hicks had jumped off the tractor and was wielding a knife, and a Boone officer utilized a Taser, and Hicks was taken into custody without injury to himself or the officers. Chief Le Beau said more details will be coming in a press release.
Mad man in super tractor > guy out of the super tractor with a knife. This mere mortal did not game plan for a taser.
I'm just glad no one got hurt. Got a dumpster in a church, some vehicles got dinged up, but nothing truly bad. Thankfully police thwarted him before anything like this happened.
Anyways, I'm very excited for that police station to install some new guidelines into how to disarm a John Deere tractor moving forward.