COURTLAND, Va. — A man who's believed to have carjacked a vehicle in Durham, N.C. is in custody after a brief standoff at a convenience store in Courtland.
According to a spokesperson for the Southampton Co. Sheriff's Office, this all began unfolding Saturday evening in Durham where a silver Ford Focus with an Illinois registration was reported stolen during an armed carjacking.
At around 10:35 that evening, over 125 miles away in Courtland, a Southampton County deputy stopped a vehicle for traveling 100 miles per hour in a 60mph zone on Southampton Parkway near Meherrin Road.
As the deputy approached the vehicle, the driver fled from the traffic stop. He eventually lost control of the vehicle and crashed at Southampton Parkway and Shady Brook Trail, about seven miles from where he was stopped. The driver and only person in the car then fled into a wooded area.
Southampton deputies and the Virginia State Police attempted to track the suspect using K9s, but couldn't find him.
Then, at around 6 a.m., the Southampton County Sheriff's Office received a call that a man matching the suspect's description was in the 7-Eleven in the 27000 block of Southampton Parkway. Deputies responded to this location and when the man saw law enforcement officers, he went to the store bathroom and did not come out.
Deputies called for a negotiator and established contact with the suspect while waiting for them to respond. After a few minutes, the man surrendered and was taken into custody. A gun was recovered from the store.
The spokesperson said they're working with police in Durham in regard to the carjacking incident. He also offered the department's appreciation to the person who reported seeing the suspect.