3 Raleigh police officers, wanted man injured after fight breaks out during traffic stop
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Three Raleigh police officers and a wanted man were injured after a fight broke out during a traffic stop Tuesday night.
Around 11:45 p.m., four officers stopped a man in the 4200 block of Capital Boulevard.
Upon checking his license and registration, officers learned the suspect, 46-year-old Woodie Herring, was wanted by the U.S. Marshals for felony possession of a firearm.
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When officers tried to detain Herring, he attempted to pull out a black revolver handgun, police said.
A fight ensued, injuring Herring and three officers; all sustained minor injuries.
Authorities said Herring has been out of prison for less than 18 months after serving more than 20 years for several crimes including second-degree murder.
In November, he was arrested by Raleigh police for possession of a firearm by a felon.
Herring was taken into custody and will be charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and four felony counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.
Herring had served 23 years for several violent crimes, but his total sentence was more than 45 years.
"Even though the maximum was 45 years based on the sentencing laws at that time it looks like he did not get paroled early," said Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.
The DA noted that Herring went to prison under the old sentencing system - a year before structured sentencing was adopted in North Carolina.
Under today's standards, when someone is given minimum sentence in court they serve every day of that minimum sentence," Freeman explained. "Under the old system, defendants were able to gain almost a day per day of gain time or good time."
Freeman said she plans to aggressively prosecute this case.
