Weldon police Chief Mark Macon said the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office filed most of the charges against Michael Ponton Sr. after he allegedly fired a shot with .45-caliber handgun at officer L. Clanton.
The shooting occurred shortly after Ponton was stopped by officers for riding his bicycle at night without lights when he was nearly hit by a patrol car.
Ponton rode the bike into his yard and had his hands in his coat pocket, Macon said.
He was acting nervous and when officers asked to do a pat down he refused. Following a warrant check, which came back negative, the officers were going to talk to him about the bicycle violation. Ponton ran and was stopped as he approached a snowy embankment.
As Clanton was trying to handcuff him, Ponton fired a round, which missed the officer. Ponton was struck with a taser, which subdued him, Macon said.
Officers recovered the weapon and 20 hits of crack cocaine Ponton allegedly had on him.
As Weldon and the sheriff’s office investigated, Roanoke Rapids officers and state Highway Patrol troopers secured the crime scene.
Ponton was charged with attempted murder, drug charges, possession of a firearm by a felon along with charges filed by the Weldon Police Department for the chase and the bicycle violation.
Macon said the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been called to trace the weapon. “We hope ATF will adopt the case since it involved a weapon and drugs.”
Macon said the police department has had run ins with Ponton before, but it never led to this type of reaction from him.
Further details were not immediately available.
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