High-Stakes Pursuit: Suspect Who Threatened Trump Sparks High-Speed Chase After Deputy Confrontation

In North Carolina, a 43-year-old man faces accusations of crashing into a deputy’s patrol car and sparking a high-speed pursuit across multiple counties after law enforcement tried to stop him for allegedly threatening the life of former President Donald Trump.

Shaun Brian Jones was detained over the weekend and now faces state charges including assault on a government official, resisting arrest, fleeing or eluding arrest with a vehicle, and failing to stop for blue lights and sirens, according to court documents.

The investigation into Jones commenced when the U.S. Secret Service alerted the Catawba Sheriff’s Office on Saturday afternoon about alleged threats made by Jones against the president. Federal agents requested that the sheriff’s office locate Jones and conduct a welfare check.

On the same day, a deputy reportedly spotted Jones’ vehicle traveling north on Highway 16 in Conover, approximately 45 miles northwest of Charlotte. The deputy attempted an “investigative stop” on the vehicle. Authorities claim that during this stop, Jones assaulted the deputy by ramming his vehicle into the front of the patrol car, with the deputy still inside.

Following the collision with the deputy’s vehicle, Jones allegedly fled the scene, continuing his northward journey on the highway.

A sheriff’s deputy in Alexander County soon located Jones’ car and similarly attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Jones allegedly refused to stop. Authorities also noted that Jones was driving “recklessly” and was “speeding in excess of 15 miles per hour over the legal speed limit” as he attempted to elude deputies.

After notifying officials in Alexander County about the situation, authorities located Jones’ vehicle in the parking lot of First Baptist Church in Taylorsville, around 16 miles north. He was taken into custody following a brief standoff, Charlotte-based Fox affiliate WJZY reported.

After Jones’ arrest, deputies reportedly discovered that an explosive device may have been in the defendant’s car. The Gaston County Police Department’s Hazardous Device Units were called to the scene to investigate, and traffic in the surrounding area was temporarily closed, but the vehicle was found to be clear of any dangerous devices.

Court documents did not provide any details about the nature of the threats Jones allegedly made against the president.

In a statement to WJZY, a spokesperson for the Secret Service said the agency “takes any information or activity that could be perceived as a potential threat to our protectees extremely seriously.”

“We investigate and act on such matters swiftly and in close coordination with our law enforcement partners,” the statement said.

Jones had not been charged with any federal crimes as of Monday morning, but the Secret Service reportedly said that its investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

Jones is currently being held in the Alexander County Detention Center on $120,000 bond. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on Feb. 16, records show.