Suspect in chase, manhunt identified

Local News

January 23, 2012

Royse City man facing charges from three counties

By BRAD KELLAR Herald-Banner Staff The Zope Gazette Mon Jan 23, 2012, 05:11 PM CST

ROYSE CITY — The suspect who initially eluded a law enforcement manhunt following a chase through Hunt County, only to be captured near Caddo Mills later the same day, has been identified.

Mickey Dean Durham Jr., 34, of Royse City, remained in custody on multiple charges at the Hunt County Jail Monday morning. Durham was the focus of an early Friday morning pursuit by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol.

Following a report of a stolen car in Van Zandt County, a DPS trooper allegedly encountered Durham on U.S. Highway 69 near Lone Oak shortly after midnight Friday and performed a traffic stop, at which point he discovered there was a warrant out for Durham’s arrest. Durham reportedly drove off and the trooper gave chase through Greenville and onto westbound U.S. Highway 380, south on FM 36 and eventually onto Interstate 30, where the suspect abandoned the car near the FM 1570 exit and fled on foot.

The initial manhunt that began shortly thereafter included tracking dogs from the Cole-Moore Prison Unit and a DPS helicopter ended around 11 a.m. Friday. During the evening, however, an off, duty Rowlett Police Department officer spotted Durham at the Pilot Truck Stop at Interstate 30 and FM 1903 and gave chase alongside Hunt County Deputy Warrant Officer Mike Ball. Durham reportedly ran back into the woods to the north side of the interstate.

Greenville Police Officer Robert Pemberton and K-9 Ceiko were able to flush Durham from the heavy brush and Sgt. Lynn Booth of the Caddo Mills Police Department took Durham into custody behind Nelson’s Fireworks at around 7 p.m. Friday.

As of Monday afternoon, Durham was facing felony charges from Hunt, Rockwall and Van Zandt counties on other vehicle thefts and felony evading cases, and DPS officials were expected to file multiple charges including evading arrest with a vehicle and aggravated assault against a public servant with a vehicle. Hunt County Sheriff officials intend to file a charge of unauthorized use of motor vehicle relating to an earlier offense that occurred on Jan. 15 when Durham allegedly stole a Dodge pickup at the Tiger Mart on Highway 276 and FM 1565 and eluded Rockwall County Sheriff’s officers when he entered Rockwall County and drove the wrong way on the south service road onto Interstate 30. That vehicle was later recovered abandoned in Van Zandt County.

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