Police wrap probe into woman who escaped handcuffs, jumped on I-485 in Charlotte

Pineville Police officials have completed an internal investigation into the case of a woman who was injured when she escaped a pair of handcuffs and jumped from a moving police car.

The findings may be made public this week. Pineville Police Chief Michael Hudgins will discuss the case during a quarterly broadcast on Facebook Live set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, the department said in a statement.

Morgan Johnson, 27, was hospitalized July 17 with “life-threatening injuries,” police said at the time. Johnson, according to police, jumped out of the window from the police car on Interstate 485, near exit 67, which is close to Interstate 77 in south Charlotte.

It’s unclear how long Johnson was in the hospital or the extent of her injuries.

According to police, she had been arrested that day after she “assaulted her boyfriend in front of officers” when they responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Willow Ridge Apartments, near Atrium Health Pineville.

Officials said in July she was “intoxicated and agitated with police” at the time of her arrest.

“While being transported, (she) was able to get one hand out of her handcuff and proceeded to manually push/slide the rear window of the police vehicle down, creating a small opening. ... Unfortunately as the police vehicle slowed down, (she) was able to get through the small opening and exited the police vehicle while still moving,” a July statement said.

The officer driving the car stopped it and provided medical care until medics arrived, Pineville Police said.

Pineville Police said at the time the investigation into the incident would be conducted by the department’s Internal Affairs Division, the state Highway Patrol and, “if needed,” the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Charlotte Observer reporter Mark Price contributed to the reporting of this story.