A Morganton man was being held in the Fannin County Adult Detention Center without bond Friday, March 20, after allegedly ramming a deputy sheriff’s patrol car then fleeing from another deputy.
Richard Nicholas Head, 29, of 231 Mountain Road, was denied bond by Chief Magistrate Judge Brian Jones.
Jones said he made the decision because Head was a threat to commit another felony if he is released. The suspect is also on probation.
Fannin County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Major Keith Bosen said Friday that the situation, which occurred the day before, began with a domestic dispute in a church parking lot off Cutcane Road.
Head and a female were involved in the dispute when Head allegedly struck her vehicle with his. The female fled, with Head following and ramming her vehicle at different points along the road.
The victim then pulled in at the intersection of Cutcane Road and Georgia Highway 60. She, Head and Deputy Sheriff Caitlyn Patterson all arrived about the same time. The victim had placed a call for help to the Fannin County 911 center.
Patterson attempted to block Head’s vehicle, a Nissa Xterra, with her patrol car.
Bosen said Head then rammed the patrol car, disabling it, backed up and fled the scene headed north on Highway 60 toward McCaysville.
Sergeant Kevin Dye of the sheriff’s office was close by and pursued Head.
Warrants indicate Head was driving recklessly, failed to stopat the stop sign at the intersection of Highway 60 and Spur 60, and passed a vehicle in a no passing zone.
Bosen said in the area of Hothouse Church, Dye was able to perform a PIT (Precision Intervention Technique) maneuver, disable Head’s vehicle, and take him into custody.
“Kevin Dye did a great job. We had to get him (Head) off the street before he got to McCaysville,” Bosen said.
Bosen expects Patterson’s patrol car to be a total loss from the incident, while Dye’s vehicle also suffered some damage from the PIT maneuver.
According to warrants, along with information from Head’s booking report from the Fannin County jail, he is charged with:
• Felony, aggravated assault on the female victim;
• Felony, aggravated assault on Deputy Sheriff Patterson;
• Felony, two counts, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer;
• Misdemeanor, three counts, reckless driving;
• Misdemeanor, failure to stop for stop sign;
• Misdemeanor, passing in a no passing zone; and,
• Misdemeanor, driving on wrong side of road.
Patterson suffered air bag burns to her wrists and some bruising, Bosen said.