Craven County Sheriff’s Office
The Chick-fil-A in New Bern, North Carolina has a table set up in honor of fallen North Carolina State Trooper Samuel Newton Bullard.
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Dakota Kape Whitt, 22, was arrested without incident around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 23, in connection with the fatal crash of the North Carolina state trooper.
Reports indicate that Bullard and another trooper were conducting a driver license checkpoint just before 11 p.m. when a black BMW failed to stop and fled from the checkpoint. Troopers pursued the vehicle until reaching I-77 south into Yadkin County.
When one trooper lost sight of Bullard’s vehicle, he attempted to reach him by in-car communications, however, Bullard’s patrol vehicle was later found crashed at mile marker 80. Bullard, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Our SHP family is devastated by the loss of Trooper Bullard. We are struggling to find words that describe the hurting we feel right now,” said Col. Glenn M. McNeill Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol. “Trooper Bullard died as he was fulfilling his promise to the people of North Carolina, protecting and serving his community.”
Craven County Sheriff’s Office
Whitt, who was wanted for murder, felony fleeing to elude arrest in a motor vehicle and driving with a revoked license, is being held without bond.
Bullard was a three year veteran of the force. A funeral will be held for Trooper Bullard on Friday, May 25, at 1:00 p.m. at the John A. Walker Center on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.