Last Updated on July 16, 2026 7:46 pm
For Immediate Release – July 16, 2026
JEFFERSON, N.C. — Sheriff B. Phil Howell announces the arrest of 63-year-old Lindsay Edwin Milam following a dangerous vehicle pursuit that began on NC Highway 163 and ended on Tom McNeill Road.
During the early afternoon hours of July 15, 2026, Ashe County 911 Dispatch received a report of a breaking and entering in progress at a residence on Wind Dancer Ridge Road in West Jefferson. Deputies responded to the scene and, with the assistance of home security camera footage, identified the suspect as Lindsay Milam.
Deputies later responded to Milam's residence to investigate the incident and attempt to speak with him. While at the residence, deputies observed what appeared to be a handgun lying on the dashboard of an orange vehicle. Deputies remained in the area, and shortly thereafter, the vehicle left the residence and proceeded onto NC Highway 163.
Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop using emergency lights and sirens, but Milam refused to stop, initiating a vehicle pursuit. The pursuit continued before turning onto Frank Dillard Road and ultimately ending in a field off Tom McNeill Road. During efforts to bring the pursuit to a safe conclusion, several vehicle collisions occurred before deputies stopped Milam and took him into custody.
Following the arrest, deputies determined that the firearm observed inside the vehicle was actually a BB pistol. Investigators discovered that the orange-tipped barrel had been cut off and drilled out, causing it to look identical to a genuine handgun. The modified BB pistol resembled a real firearm and would have been nearly impossible to distinguish from an actual handgun.
As a result of the incident, two Ashe County Sheriff's Office deputies and the suspect, Milam, were transported to Ashe Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. Deputies were treated and released.
Lindsay Milam was released from the hospital, where he was charged with Injury to Personal Property, Resisting Public Officer, Misdemeanor Larceny, Damage to Property and Flee/Elude Arrest with a Motor Vehicle. Milam remains in the custody of the Ashe County Detention Center under a $25,000 bond.
As with all criminal charges, Milam is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
