A Holly Springs man was arrested on Tuesday night for assault on a government official stemming from the alleged attack on Coats Police Chief Eddie Jaggers.

Stefon Stewart, 43, of Holly Springs Road, was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, fleeing to elude arrest, forceful trespassing, aggravated driving, injury to public property and carrying a concealed weapon.

According to authorities, the incident began shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday when the suspect, who is a convicted felon, reportedly drove away from a licensing checkpoint near Coats heading east on N.C. 27 toward Benson.

Chief Jaggers chased the vehicle Stewart was driving for about eight miles until it became stuck in a creek. At that time, Stewart jumped from his vehicle and allegedly hit Chief Jaggers over the head with a handgun during a struggle. Stewart then fled by foot into nearby woods.

Deputies and officers from Coats, Benson, Lillington, Erwin and Angier police departments responded. Stewart was tracked down around 9:30 p.m. by the K-9 unit in a wooded area on Bailey's Crossroads Road, which was about a mile from the scene of the scuffle with the chief.

He was placed under a $500,000 bond.

Chief Jaggers was treated at WakeMed and released.

Record

Stewart is no stranger to the law. According to the Department of Corrections Web site, his criminal record dates back to at least 1985. He was released from parole less than a month prior to Tuesday's incident on a 1994 conviction for second-degree rape. During his incarceration, he had a recorded 16 infractions including substance possession, misuse of medicine, fighting, gambling, unauthorized leave and disobeying orders.

Prior to that sentence, Stewart was convicted of felony breaking and entering, common law robbery, failure to stop for an accident, communicating threats, escaping jail, and second degree kidnapping.