Bronson Lee Midkiff
Midkiff and the female victim were at a gathering at a mutual friend’s residence on December 28, 2025. The friend asked the victim to give the defendant a ride home. As she was taking Midkiff home, he became aggressive, grabbed the wheel and her hair as he told her to keep driving. He then began to disrobe in the vehicle, touching her as she protested. Midkiff continued to give commands where she should go. Fearing for her life, she refused and made a U-turn. The defendant put the vehicle in park and tried to forcibly push her head toward his private areas and pull her into the seat with him.
The victim was able to get the driver’s door open and slid out of the hoodie she was wearing as Midkiff continued pulling at her. She fled on foot to get away, and a passing motorist stopped to assist by calling 911. Midkiff took the victim’s car and led law enforcement officers on a chase, driving recklessly with a revoked license and traveling more than 15 mph over the posted speed limit. When he was caught, the defendant was wearing the victim’s hoodie as a makeshift pair of pants.
The incident occurred just two days after Midkiff had been arrested for another charge of fleeing to elude arrest on December 26, 2025. He was seen by a Hickory police officer driving at a slow rate of speed, weaving left to right with no taillights. When the vehicle pulled into a parking lot, the officer activated emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop only to have the defendant pull out and run two red lights as he tried to flee.
The defendant and his vehicle were located by another HPD officer at a convenience store a short time later, and the officer initially involved arrived to confirm his identity and place him in custody. Brittany Weaver investigated the kidnapping and flee to elude case for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Dylan Soles handled the investigation of the flee to elude for Hickory Police Department.
Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY