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Associated Press - August 25, 2009 8:35 AM ET
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Authorities closed part of Interstate 77 in North Carolina and delayed classes on the opening day of the school year as they chased a suspect who shot at officers.
Statesville police said Tuesday an officer was shot in the leg during the pursuit and capture of the suspect they identified as William Welton Jr., whom they said is a convicted felon.
The manhunt began overnight when a driver who drove away from a check point in Wilkes County. The Highway Patrol pursued the driver south on I-77, closing the highway for more than an hour while troopers tried to blow out the car's tires.
Troopers say the man ran into a wooded area and fired shots at officers near Statesville Middle School and Pressly School, which were forced to postpone opening.
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