A South Carolina woman who led Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a high-speed pursuit Monday night called 911 and said she’d stop—for $300,000.
According to the BCSO, deputy Joe Cherry attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Monday, Dec. 10, around 11:25 p.m. The driver failed to stop for blue lights and siren.
Instead, Jeniffer Melisa Herring, 37, of 121 Misty Pine Drive, Surfside Beach, S.C., led police on a pursuit that began on Holden Beach Road and on Oxpen Road in Supply.
“The pursuit lasted approximately 15 minutes and reached speeds of approximately 70 mph in a 45 mph zone,” said Mose Highsmith, of legal affairs with the BCSO.
The majority of the pursuit was recorded during the 911 call. A nine minute and 46 second recording begins with Herring identifying herself.
“Hi, this is Jenna and I don’t have an emergency but the car behind me does and I’m trying to figure out what that is because I’m driving 45 on I believe it’s Oxpen Road,” Herring said calmly to the 911 operator. “And I have a contract with you guys that if you want to go ahead and declare a false sense of emergency, it’s $300,000 per incident.”
“Ma’am what kind of, Ma’am?” the 911 operator attempts to communicate.
“I need to make sure that you guys are willing to pay the fee the you already owe before I pull over,” she replied.
“Ma’am, I don’t know what you are talking about. What can I do for you?” the 911 operator continued.
“I know you don’t. I know you don’t, but there is an officer that is apparently affiliated with your agency with his emergency lights on and, and his siren on right now which is a false sense of emergency,” Herring said, “and if I am not mistaken there is no sense of an emergency. Has anyone been reported run over or is there anyone been reported hurt because I don’t think that they are?
“I’m not running from this cop. I am doing 40 mph with this cop behind me with his friggin’ siren on acting like a moron with his siren on. Can you please tell him to turn it off because I am not running?”
“Ma’am can you pull over for the officer?” the operator asked.
“I am not pulling over because that’s voluntary. That’s voluntary. There is no emergency and you already told me there is no emergency. Why would I pull over if there isn’t an emergency?”
Herring repeatedly refuses to pull over and begins yelling at the 911 operator continuing to ask him if he is willing to incur a $300,000 debt.
“If there isn’t an emergency then what is the use of all this public funds going toward chasing me like a bunch of idiots, when I am not a threat to society in any way shape or form, when obviously I wouldn’t be calling you, sir? So I am asking you if there is no emergency to have your dogs called off.”
Herring continues to batter the 911 operator demanding he “call off the dogs” and stop putting people’s lives in danger.
She tells the operator she will hold him personally responsible. She claims the officers are making her run a stop sign and speed.
“I am not running from you guys,” she said.
“Ma’am I think you are running from the police,” the operator told her.
The call ends with an officer shouting, “Hands on the ground! Hands on the ground!”
Herring’s vehicle stopped when it reached a dead end on Old Ferry Road. She pulled into a private driveway.
Herring was arrested and taken to the Brunswick County Detention Center. She has been charged with driving while impaired, felony fleeing to elude arrest, driving while license revoked, careless and reckless and driving left of center.
She was also arrested for an outstanding order for arrest for failure to appear on a pending DWI case in Brunswick County.
She was under a $13,000 secured bond at the Brunswick County Detention Center at press time.
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