Undercover drug deal leads to car chase, suspect caught

What started as a drug buy in a parking lot, ended with the suspect crashing his car into a police vehicle in a Wilmington neighborhood.

New Hanover County Vice and Narcotics detectives were conducting an undercover drug deal in the parking lot of Rose’s at Carolina Beach Road and Shipyard Boulevard. They say the man on the other end of the deal was 18-year-old Justice Price; a suspect they had been tracking for several months.

Price drove off and led law enforcement on a chase through nearby residential neighborhoods. While fleeing, he allegedly threw bags of heroin out of the car on Jefferson Street in the Sunset Park area. A neighbor kept an eye on the bags until detectives could get there.

“There were 20 bags of heroin and approximately two bundles of heroin, there was also digital scales found on him as well,” said Captain David Ciamillo of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said Price intentionally crashed twice into a police van, before ending up at the corner of North Carolina Avenue and Washington Street. That is where he was arrested, treated by EMS, and taken to the hospital.

Captain Ciamillo added, “We also have felony warrants on him from purchases made back in October.”

Detectives estimated that top speeds ranged around 45 miles per hour as they criss-crossed residential streets.

Price faces numerous drug counts as well as charges related to the pursuit.