From The Campbell County Tn Sheriff's Department -
On Friday afternoon April 1, 2022 the Campbell County Sheriff's Office arrested Josh Neil Blair after a 72 hour manhunt.
On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, a deputy observed a rollback that had been reported as stolen on General Carl Stiner Highway and initiated a traffic stop. During the stop, Blair refused to exit the vehicle, and fled from police. The chase went through several fields before he returned to the roadway. He then put the rollback in reverse and repeatedly rammed police cruisers in an attempt to injure them.
A video shot by someone in traffic behind the scene sent to WRIL, showed at one point that multiple shots were fired during the ramming incident. Who made those shots has yet to be officially released by the sheriff's department.
The chase continued into Claiborne County in the Speedwell community, where Blair abandoned the vehicle in a field and fled on foot. Sheriff Goins and his team immediately started a search for Blair that spanned nearly 72 hours and relied on the assistance of multiple agencies - including the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Helicopter Unit. During the investigation, Detectives with the Sheriff's Office received a tip about Blair's identity. After his Friday arrest Blair confessed to Tuesday’s crimes.
He stated that the chase started because he had a “loaded needle in his seat and he knew he was going to jail." Blair shared that his use of heroin leads to blackouts, and he had no recollection of the chase because he was high - he only remembers waking up in the woods later that night.
Sheriff Robbie Goins stated in the release: “This arrest is due to the hard work of our deputies, and the great relationships we have built over the years with other law enforcement agencies."
Blair was lodged in the Campbell County Jail with multiple charges.
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