On Thursday, May 6, 2021, at 5:48 p.m. the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Dover (DE) Police Department in reference to attempting to locate two fugitives who fled from police, according to Cecil County Sheriff Chief Deputy Gerald Widdoes. Both suspects were wanted in regards to a shooting incident and units were advised that the suspects were believed to be armed.
Units from the United States Marshal’s Service Task Force out of Dover attempted to arrest these individuals which resulted in the subjects fleeing in a vehicle driving down the sidewalk of a Dover business to avoid being pinned in by police. Units lost the suspect vehicle however it was spotted again a short while later and another pursuit ensued this time entering into Maryland where the suspects were able to evade police again.
A Delaware State Police helicopter spotted the suspects on Joe Meltz Road in Warwick, Cecil County, Maryland near the Delaware State Line. Kent County Sheriff’s Office units were the first on scene and observed the two suspects fleeing on foot into a heavily wooded area.
A reverse 911 call to residents in the immediate area notified residents to shelter in place while units were working in the area. CCSO subsequently received several 911 calls from local residents indicating that they heard individuals near their residences. Several residences were checked as well as numerous outbuildings, sheds, garages, and barns on Joe Meltz Road as well as Edgar Price Road. That process tactically took hours, according to Widdoes.
A bloodhound search was initially performed from the abandoned vehicle which lead deputies and troopers into the heavily wooded area. The track was lost between Joe Meltz Road and the Delaware State line. Aviation units from both states utilized FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) in an attempt to locate the suspects. After an approximate 6-hour ground and air search, the operation was called off.
Ultimately numerous units from a wide host of agencies arrived in the area to include:
Cecil County Sheriff’s Office (Patrol, SRT, K9) – 18 deputies
Kent County Sheriff’s Office (Patrol & K9)
Caroline County Sheriff’s Office – bloodhound
Unites States’s Marshal’s Service Task Force
Maryland State Police – Aviation, K9, Search Team, and STATE Team
Delaware State Police – Aviation and patrol troopers from Troop 9 Odessa
Middletown Police Department
Dover Police Department
Cecil County Department of Emergency Services
Kent County Emergency Services
Cecilton Fire Company (Engine and EMS standby)
Galena Fire Company
This operation was certainly one that showed inter-agency cooperation, said Widdoes. As in any major incident involving a wide range of agencies, initial and subsequently group communication is the key. Units were able to get on the same radio frequency and work from the command post established on Joe Meltz Road.
It is our understanding from open/social media in Delaware that the neighborhood of St. Anne’s south of Middletown was locked down Friday morning at approximately 6:45 a.m., added Widdoes.
Although Widdoes did not mention it in his press release it should be noted that officers rescued two young children from a home on Joe Meltz Road. Shortly after the ground search began officers were called to the home for reports that someone was trying to break into the home. Despite reports that suspects were considered armed and dangerous, officers approached the home and were able to contact the children through a window. It’s not clear if the children escaped through the window or when officers cleared the home minutes later.
Breaking Report
Just before 6:00 Thursday evening Delaware authorities began pursuing two subjects wanted out of Dover.
Police began the chase began when an officer attempted to stop a white BMW 328 with Delaware Registration 457987. Shortly after the chase began Dover Police issued a statement saying that they were seeking Rahiem Jackson, 23, and Maya Hairston, 24 and that the vehicle likely had significant front-end damage.
Shortly after the chase began police lost sight of the vehicle. Several minutes later the vehicle was located near Joe Meltz Road in Warwick, Maryland. Reports indicate that the vehicle involved in the chase is the vehicle Dover Police were searching for.
Officers from multiple agencies in Maryland and Delaware have responded to the scene.
Rumors on social media that are reporting that a shooting took place at this location are not accurate.
All roads leading the area have been shut down.
Additional details will be released when the incident is over.
Dover Police Statement
The Dover Police Department is seeking two wanted suspects connected to an ongoing firearms investigation by the agency.
Rahiem Jackson (23) and Maya Hairston (24), both of Dover, are wanted by the Dover Police Department for the following offenses:
Rahiem Jackson:
-Violation of Probation (2x)
-Possession of Firearm by Person Prohibited
Maya Hairston:
-Resisting Arrest
-Disregard Police Officer’s Signal
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