Shoplifting suspect arrested following brief pursuit
On April 29, 2025, at approximately 6:10 PM, officers from the Kinston Police Department’s B-Squad responded to a reported shoplifting incident at 701 N McLewean Street (Big Blue). Upon arrival, officers were informed that the suspect had fled the scene and were provided a description.
A short time later, officers located a subject matching the description—identified as 59-year-old Julius Lawson—riding a bicycle nearby. When officers attempted to stop him, Lawson refused to comply and led them on a brief pursuit.
Lawson eventually stopped and was taken into custody without further incident. Officers suspected Lawson to be impaired at the time of his arrest and confirmed impairment during their investigation.
As a result, Julius Lawson was charged with:
• Habitual Larceny
• Driving While Impaired
• Resisting a Public Officer
Lawson is currently being held at the Lenoir County Jail under a secured bond.
Neuse News is a locally-owned small business startup in downtown Kinston. Our goal is to provide free, hyper-local news to Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties. The kind of news our grandparents read in a format fit for today's times.
We provide this by having supportive advertisers and we encourage you to click on their ads, shop with them, and eat with them. Every bit of financial support is important to help us sustain free, hyper-local news.
Please consider supporting Neuse News with as little as $5 one-time or via a monthly option. Every little bit helps us, help you.
