Murphy – A woman sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, and two men are in police custody in the shooting, after a high-speed car chase followed a domestic dispute outside Burger King on Sunday morning.
Christopher Michael Rhodes, 40, and William Patrick Bradley, 43, were taken into custody in the early hours of the morning after a vehicle pursuit that began in Murphy and reached speeds up to about 90 mph before it finally ended in Andrews. Rhodes fled on foot but was apprehended a short distance from the vehicle. He dropped a firearm during the short foot chase, according to a release from the Murphy Police Department.
Both men were being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center as of Monday evening. Rhodes is charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, attempted kidnapping, assault by strangulation, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of methamphetamine. Bradley is charged with possession of methamphetamine, reckless driving to endanger, driving with a revoked license (not impaired) and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
“(The officer) initiated the traffic stop right there by the (Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River) casino intersection because he saw it on the back part of Andrews Road that runs behind Walgreens,” investigator Jason Murphy said. “It ended on Konehete Avenue in Andrews. I think it came to a dead-end road out there.”
About 4:40 a.m., Murphy Police Department officers responded to reports of a domestic disturbance with shots fired outside Burger King at 1510 Andrews Road. Officers were advised that a white four-door Kia had left the parking lot prior to their arrival.
A Murphy police officer located a vehicle matching that description within minutes of receiving the call and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, according to the release. The vehicle immediately accelerated, sparking the chase.
During the pursuit, an individual placed a call from the Best Western of Murphy motel stating that a woman ran into the reception area and was suffering from a gunshot wound in the back left shoulder. Emergency workers rendered aid at the scene and took the woman to a local hospital. Murphy said the woman who was shot was familiar with at least one of the two suspects.
The case is still under investigation. Anyone with any information about the case is encouraged to contact Murphy at 828-837-2214.