North Carolina charter boat captain fires shots at deputies before fleeing into woods: reports

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A Wanchese, North Carolina, fishing charter captain was arrested this week after evading deputies in a vehicle, crashing, then allegedly firing five shots at law enforcement officials before fleeing into the woods, according to police.

Deputies with the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office in Northeastern, North Carolina said they took over a pursuit from the Dare County Sheriff’s Office around 4:30 p.m. on Monday after the driver, Preston Mertes, of Aydlett, North Carolina crossed over the Wright Memorial Bridge on U.S. Route 158.

Preston Mertes (Currituck County Sheriff's Office)

NBC station WAVY in Hampton Roads, Virginia reported that the incident started out as a traffic stop turned pursuit in Dare County, which is where places like Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina are located.

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Mertes continued to evade deputies for nearly 20 miles, where stop sticks were deployed causing the vehicle to swerve and wreck into a ditch near Macedonia Church Road.

After crashing, the sheriff’s office said, Mertes got out of the vehicle with a "rifle type weapon" and pointed it toward deputies who pursued him, before shooting the gun five times and fleeing into the woods.

Currituck County Sheriff's Office issued alerts to residents and schools that they were looking for armed and dangerous man. (Currituck County Sheriff's Office)

The sheriff’s office issued an alert to residents and school systems along the route that an armed and dangerous man was in the area, though the department did not believe Mertes posed any threat to the schools.

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As a precaution, the department planned to have extra patrols at the schools throughout the day on Tuesday.

The next morning, the sheriff’s office reported that Mertes was in custody.

"After a foot chase and a brief hands on event, subject was taken to the hospital for evaluation," the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. "Thank you all for leads and patience, but most importantly the understanding that we do our job with the mindset of the safety of our community first and foremost."

Mertes is listed as the captain of The Provider, a charter boat out of Wanchese, North Carolina that targets big game fish like marlin and tuna. According to the 46-foot Buddy Harris Custom Carolina offshore fishing vessel’s website, The Provider hosted former President Jimmy Carter and his family on a fishing trip while he was in office.