On Wednesday morning, October 7, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a suspicious vehicle located on a dirt road off of Highway 701 North of White Lake.
William Matthew Campbell, a 34-year old white male, of Fountain, North Carolina was arrested and charged with:
- Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle
- Possession of Methamphetamine
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Possession of a Weapon of Mass Destruction
- Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
- Carrying a Concealed Weapon
- Resisting a Public Officer
The 2003 Chevrolet truck they were driving was stolen from LaGrange in Lenoir County. A sawed-off .22 rifle was under the seat of the truck at the time the officers approached the vehicle. After learning that the vehicle was stolen, the deputies approached the vehicle to talk with the driver and passenger. The driver attempted to flee the area and reached behind his back, under the seat, in an attempt to possibly retrieve the weapon. A Bladen County Deputy tazed the suspect after several commands to comply were not followed. Campbell was transported to Bladen County Hospital where he was examined for the taser stun and released.
Campbell was also charged with outstanding warrants from Pitt County, which were:
- Assault on a Female
- Two counts of Habitual Misdemeanor Assault
- 1st Degree Kidnapping
- Assault with a Deadly Weapon
- Felony Probation Violations
Arrested along with Campbell was Sarah Jane Pierce, a 42-year-old white female, of Pikeville,
North Carolina. Pierce was charged with Possession of Stolen Goods and placed in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $5,000 secured bond.
Campbell was transported to the Bladen County Detention Center where he was taken before a magistrate and placed under a $51,000 secure bond on the Bladen County charges, and a $25,000 secured bond on the Pitt County charges.
Sheriff Jim McVicker said, “I am very proud of the way our deputies handled this potentially deadly situation. This suspect did not want to be taken into custody, and was reaching for a rifle when he was tased by our deputy.”
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