A two-day sweep dubbed "Operation Tightrope" has resulted in the arrests of 120 wanted fugitives in Pasquotank County and Elizabeth City.
The operation was sparked by a concern with increased violence in Elizabeth City, including a double-homicide on New Year's Day.
"I've only been the chief here for about 3 months. As soon as I took office we had the double homicide and a series of shootings," explained Elizabeth City Police Chief Eddie Buffaloe.
During the operation, agents with the the U.S. Marshals Service, Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, the Elizabeth City Police Department, N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement, the N.C. Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the N.C. Division of Community Corrections teamed up to serve warrants and arrest fugitives.
The operation targeted fugitives wanted for offenses including assault, drug violations and weapons charges.
"We did better than we expected," explained Pasquotank County Sheriff Randy Cartwright. "The other significant part is that no law enforcement or person being arrested was injured."
Sheriff Cartwright hopes information collected in the operation will help solve several ongoing investigations.
