Prosecuting Attorney Ste-ve Dalrymple has concluded that White Hall Police Officer Phillip Peckham was justified in his shooting of an armed suspect after a vehicle pursuit late Friday, July 17.
Michael Timothy Bost, 55, of North Carolina shot a rifle toward Peckham, White Hall Officer Celina Harbison and several other police officers during a vehicle chase of more than eight miles on Interstate 530. The pursuit ended when Bost, driving a pick-up truck, lost control of his vehicle in the median near the 24 mile marker. When the truck came to a complete stop, Bost – who had repeatedly fired a rifle toward officers during the pursuit – continued to threaten police. Peckham responded by firing four shots from his service pistol, and Bost was killed in the exchange.
In an Aug. 12, letter to White Hall Police Chief Noel Foster, Dalrymple said, “The use of deadly force is warranted to meet the threat of deadly force. I find that the actions of Officer Phillip Peckham, though unfortunate, were clearly appropriate and necessary.”
The incident began when Bost was being questioned by Harbison and Peckham behind Big Red Travel Plaza at 8110 Dollarway Rd. just before 11 p.m. The officers were investigating a report of a suspicious pick-up truck with North Carolina plates being parked behind the business.
While attempting to determine if Bost was wanted for any criminal violations, Harbison spotted the rifle in Bost’s truck. Ignoring the officers’ orders to halt, Bost began to flee in the vehicle, backing it toward Peckham. Peckham then shot and flattened a tire on the truck, but Bost sped away to the interstate, driving northward.
Other officers from several agencies joined in the chase. During the pursuit, Bost – with his truck’s headlights turned off – crossed the median to the southbound lanes, continuing to drive northward. Numerous approaching motorists narrowly avoided collisions.
Harbison and Peckham sh-ared a police car and were traveling parallel to Bost in the northbound lanes as Bost fired his rifle toward them.
“During this pursuit . . . several other law enforcement officers also faced life-threatening circumstances, as did the motorists who were traveling on I-530,” wrote Dalrymple.
“It is remarkable that an accident did not occur during this incident. While driving north in the southbound lanes, Bost encountered 30-50 vehicles, sometimes passing between two approaching vehicles and causing many other vehicles to swerve and leave the roadway to avoid hitting Bost.”
Prosecuting Attorney Ste-ve Dalrymple has concluded that White Hall Police Officer Phillip Peckham was justified in his shooting of an armed suspect after a vehicle pursuit late Friday, July 17.
Michael Timothy Bost, 55, of North Carolina shot a rifle toward Peckham, White Hall Officer Celina Harbison and several other police officers during a vehicle chase of more than eight miles on Interstate 530. The pursuit ended when Bost, driving a pick-up truck, lost control of his vehicle in the median near the 24 mile marker. When the truck came to a complete stop, Bost – who had repeatedly fired a rifle toward officers during the pursuit – continued to threaten police. Peckham responded by firing four shots from his service pistol, and Bost was killed in the exchange.
In an Aug. 12, letter to White Hall Police Chief Noel Foster, Dalrymple said, “The use of deadly force is warranted to meet the threat of deadly force. I find that the actions of Officer Phillip Peckham, though unfortunate, were clearly appropriate and necessary.”
The incident began when Bost was being questioned by Harbison and Peckham behind Big Red Travel Plaza at 8110 Dollarway Rd. just before 11 p.m. The officers were investigating a report of a suspicious pick-up truck with North Carolina plates being parked behind the business.
While attempting to determine if Bost was wanted for any criminal violations, Harbison spotted the rifle in Bost’s truck. Ignoring the officers’ orders to halt, Bost began to flee in the vehicle, backing it toward Peckham. Peckham then shot and flattened a tire on the truck, but Bost sped away to the interstate, driving northward.
Other officers from several agencies joined in the chase. During the pursuit, Bost – with his truck’s headlights turned off – crossed the median to the southbound lanes, continuing to drive northward. Numerous approaching motorists narrowly avoided collisions.
Harbison and Peckham sh-ared a police car and were traveling parallel to Bost in the northbound lanes as Bost fired his rifle toward them.
“During this pursuit . . . several other law enforcement officers also faced life-threatening circumstances, as did the motorists who were traveling on I-530,” wrote Dalrymple.
“It is remarkable that an accident did not occur during this incident. While driving north in the southbound lanes, Bost encountered 30-50 vehicles, sometimes passing between two approaching vehicles and causing many other vehicles to swerve and leave the roadway to avoid hitting Bost.”
