Two-county manhunt comes to a close in Shelby

A man who allegedly led police on a two county car chase before wrecking in Shelby, firing shots at officers and fleeing on foot into the woods, was captured Thursday morning, according to law enforcement.

Sheriff Alan Norman said Jeremy Aaron Huffman, 30, was taken into custody without incident shortly after 8 a.m.

"Everybody's safe, that's the main thing," Norman said.

He said Huffman was found off of U.S. 74 near a service road just below Day's Inn and not far from the former Shelby radio station.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were out searching for Huffman beginning Wednesday afternoon and into the night after Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said he stole a vehicle and fled when deputies attempted to stop the car in Lincoln County.

A Facebook post on the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office page said that at approximately 3:30 p.m. Lincoln County deputies informed Cleveland County communications they were in pursuit of a vehicle entering the county.

"Lincoln County deputies attempted to make a voluntary contact with the driver and he sped off," the post said. "As he sped off shots were fired at the Lincoln County deputies. Shots were continued to be fired as the chase ensued. The chase entered Cleveland County in Casar and traveled through Casar and Polkville before Cleveland County deputies got involved."

The chase ended with the suspect wrecking at the intersection of Dixon Boulevard and N.C. 226, the post said.

"The driver fled and fired at officers as he ran on foot into the woods," it continued.

U.S. 74 near Ingles was shut down for several hours as law enforcement searched for Huffman.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Two-county manhunt comes to a close in Shelby