Officials in North Carolina have set a bond of $5 million for a Durham serial offender following his involvement in a fatal impaired driving incident. The crash resulted in the death of a school teacher and the injury of her adopted son who has Down syndrome.
Nathane Blackmon, aged 42, is facing charges including felony death by vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle, as well as felony and simple drug possession in connection to the tragic events that occurred in January. The crash claimed the life of Dawn Tucker, aged 67, and caused injuries to her son Joey Tucker, aged 34.
The obituary of Dawn Tucker highlights the special bond she shared with her son Joey, whom she welcomed into her life as a foster parent at 20 months old. She eventually adopted him, becoming not just his mother but also his strongest advocate and supporter. Her continuous love and dedication to Joey, who has Down Syndrome, remained unwavering throughout their time together.
The obituary further describes the 67-year-old mother as having “an indomitable spirit and a compassionate heart.”
“I’ve been working homicide cases for years. You see people go from a peeping tom to assault on a female, and they tend to escalate. It’s the same thing — whether it’s property crimes, drugs. … At what point are we saying enough’s enough?” Mikels said. “We’re going to put you in jail and there’s going to be a penalty for what you do. And the real crux of the matter is that: when you’re in jail, guess what? You’re not out committing crimes anymore.”
To make matters more complicated, the Durham Police Department, like many others across the country, is dealing with significant staffing shortages. Police are pulled thin in responding to emergencies, and it becomes “very frustrating to officers” when “they’re dealing with the same guys over and over and over,” he said.
The Durham Police Department referred Fox News Digital to the Durham District Attorney’s Office, which did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
Blackmon’s public defender, Monica Burnette, could not be reached for comment.
