SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Spartanburg Sheriff Chuck Wright helped his deputies chase down an armed robbery suspect and said the suspect is lucky he didn't get shot.

Deputies tried to arrest Christopher Webb on armed robbery charges Wednesday, but he sped through stop signs and red lights and tried to ram the sheriff's car in a chase through Spartanburg neighborhoods that reached up to 100 mph, Wright said.

Webb put deputies and people in the neighborhood at such great risk that officers likely would have been justified using deadly force, the sheriff said.

"We had the right to shoot him and we didn't. We're thankful that we're professional," Wright told the Herald-Journal of Spartanburg.

Webb was able to get away from officers during the chase, but was arrested several hours later at a motel.

Deputies said Webb was charged with one count of armed robbery and is a suspect in three other robberies in Spartanburg. Wright said he also is considering adding attempted murder charges since Webb tried to ram his car and another deputy's cruiser during the chase.

"We aren't going to stand for that," Wright said.

Webb is being held in the Spartanburg County jail. It wasn't known if he had a lawyer.


Information from: Herald-Journal,