Deputy takes wild backseat ride as armed drug suspect tries to flee | Crime

SALISBURY - A tip that a house party involved underage drinking turned up much more and ended with one deputy hanging on for dear life as a suspect tried to get away with the deputy in the back seat.

It happened Saturday night at a house off Medium Drive in Rockwell.  Rowan County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Brady and a Rockwell officer went to the door of the house.  When the door was opened, the two lawmen noted in a report that they noticed "the overwhelming smell" of marijuana.

Eight people were in the house, according to the report.  Most consented to be searched, and several bags of marijuana were found on at least two of the individuals.  One man reportedly had marijuana hidden in a Newport cigarette box.

While this search was going on, the report notes that the officer saw a backpack that was partially opened near where a deejay was set up.  The officer was given permission to search the bag, and he found several .38 rounds, a .38 revolver with a partially scratched off serial number, marijuana, and prescription pills.  Police discovered that the gun was stolen from Monroe.

Seth Gaber, the deejay, said that the bag was his, and he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of marijuana, possession of prescription drugs, possession of a stolen gun, and possession of a gun with an altered serial number.  Gaber was jailed on $5000 bond, but has since bonded out.

As the search with Gaber was unfolding, Lt. Brady noticed another man, Anthony Duncan, 28, sitting quietly in the room.  Duncan was searched, but nothing was found, so he was allowed to leave.

Minutes later, according to the report, while the officer was outside with two men cited for marijuana possession, he heard a loud bang and turned to see a car that had hit a tree.  The officer said that it appeared that the driver of the car was Anthony Duncan, and that he "was being pulled from behind."  That's because Lt. Brady was in the back seat, trying to get Duncan to stop the car.

Duncan sped off again, and sideswiped another car 300 yards away from the first crash into the tree.  Duncan then jumped from the car and ran.  He remains on the loose.

According to the report, that part of the incident unfolded when Lt. Brady was searching the car.  He was sitting in the backseat with his legs out of the door when Duncan jumped in the driver's seat and took off, slamming the door on Brady's legs.  Brady was treated and released at the hospital.

When the car was searched, investigators found digital scales, sandwich bags deejay equipment, marijuana and a Beretta 9mm handgun.

Warrants have been issued for Duncan charging him with assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of marijuana, possession of prescription drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting police.

Duncan's address is listed as Carver Pond Road in Charlotte.