WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Wilmington Police have released the name of a man they say threatened to jump into the Cape Fear River yesterday after a chase.
Jaqun Orlando Copeland, 20, is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest and three felony counts of probation violations.
Officers say he was one of two men they stopped at about 11:53 a.m. Monday in the 600 block of Swann Street. The men were driving a Ford Focus that was reported stolen a few days ago, according to investigators. Police say Copeland ran from officers toward the Cape Fear River. Officers and a K-9 cornered him behind PPD at a construction pier. That's when they say Copeland threatened to jump into the river, so police set up a close-in perimeter and got help from the Wilmington Fire Department's Fire Boat and WPD officers on a Wilmington River Taxi boat.
After talking to WPD detectives for about 20 minutes at the edge of the pier, Copeland surrendered. He is in jail under $61,000 bond.
According to the NC Department of Corrections website, Copeland has been convicted and served time or is on probation for crimes including robbery, receiving stolen property, drug possession and resisting an officer. Records show Copeland has pending court dates for trespassing, injury to personal property, cocaine possession and chop shop activity among other charges.
Police say the other man in the stolen car was Justin Marcel Covington, 23. Officers arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on felony charges. He is in jail without bond.