AULANDER – A suspect being arrested for attempted breaking and entering is now facing attempted murder of a law official following a traffic accident here Monday morning.

Wayne Gerald Jenkins, 54, of 308 Elm St., Aulander, was being arrested for allegedly busting the door glass at the Red Apple on Commerce Street when things took a turn for the worst.

&uot;I received a call around 6:30 this morning (Monday) that the door glass had been shattered at the Red Apple,&uot; said Aulander Police Chief Jimmy Barmer.

&uot;Once I saw the video tape, I went straight to the residence of the suspect (Jenkins) and placed him under arrest.

&uot;I was transporting him to the Bertie Sheriff’s Office to have warrants drawn when he reached over and grabbed the steering wheel and snatched it to the right,&uot; he added.

Barmer had handcuffed Jenkins, but had placed the handcuffs in front of the suspect, leaving him in a more &uot;comfortable&uot; position for riding to Windsor.

&uot;I guess some officer still handcuff people in the front. We should handcuff them in the back, but I was thinking of him and I know riding handcuffed with your arms behind you is uncomfortable… I’ve learned my lesson,&uot; Barmer said.

Barmer and Jenkins were actually headed back into Aulander when the incident took place.

As Barmer headed toward Windsor initially, he received a second call of a similar attempted break in of the hardware store on Commerce Street.

&uot;Since I had the suspect believed to be responsible for the Red Apple damage, I wanted to go back to the other place of business and see if the two looked to be related and done by (Jenkins),&uot; he said.

As the two made their way back toward Aulander, Barmer said he was traveling about about 50 miles per hour when the wreck took place.

The patrol car went airborne after striking a culvert and curbing, landing inches from a residence.

Barmer called rescue to the scene for Jenkins’ safety, but Jenkins refused transport.

Barmer later went to Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie where he was treated and released.

Jenkins was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, assault on a government official, attempted felony breaking and entering and damage to property.

He was placed in the Bertie Martin Regional Jail under a $65,000 bond.

Barmer said the patrol car was totaled in the incident.