The National Forest Service has declared Pisgah National Park, in North Carolina closed until further notice as an armed suspect has made it his Hiding place after being chased by the deputies. The manhunt has been on for the past four days, and there is no sign of Phillip Michael Stroupe, the 38-year-old who is suspected to be a part of a break-in and has a long history of crimes.
Stroupe is believed to be armed with a .38 Calibre revolver and is considered dangerous. While he was being chased by a deputy from Avery’s Creek Road, he robbed a man of his mountain bike at gunpoint and rode into the forest.
The suspect has not been seen since then, and the Forest Services were forced to shut down a part of the National Park which is highly visited by tourists during summer days.
Which part of the National Park has been evacuated?
The area of the forest between U.S. 276 and the Blue Ridge Parkway has been evacuated to keep the locals and the tourist safe. This area includes popular tourist locations like Looking Glass Falls, Sliding Rock, and the Cradle of Forestry.
This is the season for the tourists to visit, and its time for business to flourish for the local businessmen. The incident has affected not only the annual footfall of tourists but also the sales. The forest officials are only allowing a few tourists and the employees of the nearby campground to stay in the area.
The officials have addressed the press and provided information about the suspect. He is known for his history of various criminal offenses such as kidnapping, resisting arrest, and violence towards government law officials.
Search for armed and dangerous suspect slows down due to rain
The heavy rainfall around the area has slowed down the search party, but law enforcement is taking aid from K-9 units to search for Stroupe with the help of an item he left behind in his car.
There have been special response teams and tactical officers present in the forest since the manhunt started.
The suspect is described as a white man, 5-foot-8, with a shaved head and a tattoo across his neck. He has an active arrest warrant against him for kidnapping and was recently released from the jail in Jackson County.
The deputies have also arrested Norma Stroupe Goforth, who is believed to be the suspects’ aunt. She refused to leave the investigation perimeter even after she was asked to do so, and has been charged with obstructing the search.
