A man is accused of ramming into two Forsyth County sheriff’s patrol cars with an SUV during a police chase Sunday, authorities said.
Deputies performed a wellness check at the residence of Joseph Nicholas Matia, 24, in south Forsyth County and found out he had left the area, sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Doug Rainwater confirmed to Channel 2 Action News.
Matia allegedly told a family member he was going to kill himself and his entire family, taking a .357 Magnum revolver that belonged to his father, Rainwater said.
After deputies in separate patrol cars found Matia driving his Ford Expedition on Campground Road, he attempted to elude them by turning into the Calamar subdivision, Rainwater said. The deputies followed, so he stopped, allegedly held the gun to his head and threatened to kill himself if the deputies approached the vehicle.
The patrol cars tried to box him in, which is when he rammed both vehicles, significantly damaging them, Rainwater said. Shortly after, a PIT maneuver stopped his vehicle and he was arrested.
Rainwater said “THC cartridges” were found in his vehicle.
Matia faces five felonies, including two counts of interference with government property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and attempting to flee and elude officers, jail records show.
He was booked into the Forsyth County Jail and remains there on a $50,675 bond, according to jail records.
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