A South Carolina man is facing charges after investigators say he assaulted a deputy and led troopers on a chase into North Carolina before he was finally stopped. The stop lead to the Gaston County Bomb Squad being called to the scene to detonate two homemade grenades found in his car.
According to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, the chase started in Cherokee County, South Carolina ended near exit 5 on Interstate 85 in North Carolina on Thursday afternoon.
Investigators say Anthony Carpenter was wanted for writing $12,000 worth of bad checks from a business account that was closed in South Carolina. They also say he was selling cars on the internet, but he's charged with taking money and never delivering the vehicles.
Carpenter reportedly assaulted a Cherokee County Deputy when the deputy attempted to arrest him, investigators say.
Troopers then chased Carpenter from Cherokee County into NC, where North Carolina Highway Patrol, as well as officers from Gaston and Cleveland County Sheriff's Offices assisted with the chase, deputies told WBTV.
Carpenter was finally stopped on I-85 North near exit 5 in Cleveland County, and was taken into custody, deputies say.
That's when troopers found two homemade grenades/pipe bombs in his vehicle.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Gaston County Bomb Squad were called in to investigate and detonated the devices.
Carpenter has since been transferred to the hospital for injuries, but there is no word yet on the nature of those injuries.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol re-routed traffic around the situation and getting drivers back onto the interstate while crews worked around the car.
Carpenter will be processed into the Cleveland County Jail. The interstate was re-opened before 3 p.m.
Anthony Carpenter
