Burlington police chase leads to two arrests, firearms recovered on Tucker Street

A suspicious-vehicle call on the 1300 block of Tucker Street turned into a brief foot chase, two arrests and the recovery of two firearms, adding another police action to a stretch of enforcement on the Burlington corridor.

Burlington police said officers were on proactive patrol in the area on May 8, 2026, when they spotted the vehicle and moved in to investigate. According to police, two people ran as officers approached. Both were caught after a short pursuit, and officers recovered weapons during the arrest.

Police said one firearm fell from Zion Ladarius Winstead’s waistband while an officer was detaining him. A second firearm was later found after Dejuan Tre’sean Shoffner allegedly threw it into a nearby yard during the chase.

Winstead, 22, was charged with felony carrying a concealed weapon and resist, delay and obstruct. Police said he had two prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, which elevated the charge to a felony. Shoffner, also 22, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and resist, delay and obstruct. Both men were taken to the Alamance County Jail.

Winstead was initially held on a $20,000 secured bond, later reduced to $10,000 secured, and he was released. Shoffner remained held on a $1,000 secured bond.

The Burlington Police Department described the operation as part of its effort to prevent violent crime, and the case fits a pattern that has kept Tucker Street and Tucker Street Apartments in the center of recent police activity. On April 28, Burlington police near Tucker Street Apartments observed a vehicle tied to a shooting investigation and later recovered an assault rifle and a stolen handgun during a traffic stop with Graham police.

The May 8 arrests were also followed by another Tucker Street-area police action on May 13, when Burlington police announced the arrest of an 18-year-old on concealed handgun and marijuana charges. Taken together, the incidents show that Tucker Street is drawing repeated attention from officers working the area, and that the neighborhood is likely to remain under close enforcement as police continue targeting suspected weapons activity and violent-crime risks.