GREENVILLE — Kirt Kiser, initially called a suspect in Wednesday’s statewide Amber Alert, was arrested Thursday after leading officers on a chase through Greenville, according to police.
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The investigation started with a welfare check on Kiser, who was showing signs of “erratic behavior,” police told News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis. When officers tried to talk to him, that’s when police said Kiser took off and led them on a chase through parts of Greenville.
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The chase began around 3:20 p.m. near the traffic circle in downtown Greenville, initial reports indicate.
The pursuit ended in the area of Cypress Street and Central Avenue when Kiser’s SUV came to a stop. The SUV, a black Chevrolet Suburban, was the same vehicle and had the same license plate as the vehicle alerted in the Amber Alert.
During the chase, multiple police cruisers were damaged. A large police investigation continued at the Wayne HealthCare, where two damaged cruisers were parked and damage to the hospital was visible.
The officers driving the cruisers were not injured. No other injuries were reported.
Kiser is facing preliminary charges of felonious assault with more charges expected, police said.
No criminal charges were filed after Wednesday’s Amber Alert, because the children’s father is a custodial parent and the children were not harmed, Greenville Police Chief Eric Roberts said Wednesday.
Roberts noted that the incident Wednesday was not considered a criminal case from the beginning, saying it was more like a well-being check.
This is a developing story and we’ll continue to update this page as we learn more.