North Carolina officers have set a Durham serial offender’s bond at $5 million after he was charged in a deadly, impaired driving crash that killed a college instructor and injured her adopted son, who has Down syndrome.
Nathane Blackmon, 42, is charged with felony loss of life by car, felony severe harm by car, felony drug possession and easy drug possession in reference to the January loss of life of Daybreak Tucker, 67, and the harm of her son, 34-year-old Joey Tucker.
“Dawn welcomed Joey into her life as a foster parent when he was 20 months old. Their bond grew strong, and she later adopted him, becoming not only his mother but also his fiercest advocate and supporter,” Daybreak Tucker’s obituary states. “Her love and dedication to Joey, who has Down Syndrome, was constant and unwavering.”
The obituary additional describes the 67-year-old mom as having “an indomitable spirit and a compassionate heart.”
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Daybreak Tucker, 67, died in a automobile crash in January after being struck by an impaired driver. Her adopted son, 34-year-old Joey Tucker, was injured. (Omega Funeral Service & Crematory, LLC)
“She was deeply committed to causes she believed in, unafraid to protest when necessary, and steadfast in her advocacy for those who are ignored, silenced, or left behind,” it reads. “Her sweetness and care for others were matched only by her steely resolve to be a part of people-powered movements to make the world a better, kinder, and safer place for all people. She changed the lives of countless people as a teacher, friend, and family member. She will be dearly missed.”
“She changed the lives of countless people as a teacher, friend, and family member. “
Previous to the deadly crash, Blackmon was out and in of Durham County jail over the course of 20 years, together with his first cost stemming from a 2001 larceny case. He was charged with dozens of crimes during the last 24 years and pleaded responsible to a lot of them however constantly returned to his neighborhood — and to his automobile, which he was not presupposed to be driving.
As years glided by, Blackmon appeared to grow to be extra brazen in his felony actions.
Nathane Blackmon, 42, who’s charged in reference to the crash that killed Daybreak Tucker, was out and in of jail for greater than 20 years in Durham County. (Durham County)
Over the past 20 years, he has confronted a variety of felony fees, together with assault on a feminine, resisting a public officer, breaking and coming into, shoplifting, kidnapping, interfering with emergency communication, eluding arrest, assault with a lethal weapon in opposition to a authorities official, reckless driving to hazard, and felony probation violation, on high of varied different site visitors and drug-related fees.
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“It’s not just Durham … it’s a lot of municipalities. These officers put their lives on the line every day to go out and make the community safe for everybody,” ret. Durham Police Division murder detective Terry Mikels with Govt Safety Ideas informed Fox Information Digital. “They have such a high standard to follow. They have to have probable cause to make an arrest. Then they have to make probable cause or show probable cause again for a magistrate to issue the warrant. Then they had to show probable cause again for a district court judge to get them through the system.”
“This revolving door has got to stop. These officers have got to be supported.”
Officers spend hours exhibiting proof of why a felony suspect must be arrested, charged and detained in courthouses, just for offenders to “go right back on probation,” even when they’re discovered responsible of a criminal offense, Mikels defined.
Blackmon was charged with dozens of crimes between 2001 and 2025 in Durham County however was repeatedly launched again into this neighborhood. (Google Maps)
The previous officer stated this sort of repetitive cycle for repeat offenders has grow to be “the normal protocol.”
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“I’ve been working homicide cases for years. You see people go from a peeping tom to assault on a female, and they tend to escalate. It’s the same thing — whether it’s property crimes, drugs. … At what point are we saying enough’s enough?” Mikels stated. “We’re going to put you in jail and there’s going to be a penalty for what you do. And the real crux of the matter is that: when you’re in jail, guess what? You’re not out committing crimes anymore.”
To make issues extra difficult, the Durham Police Division, like many others throughout the nation, is coping with vital staffing shortages. Police are pulled skinny in responding to emergencies, and it turns into “very frustrating to officers” when “they’re dealing with the same guys over and over and over,” he stated.
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The Durham Police Division referred Fox Information Digital to the Durham District Legal professional’s Workplace, which didn’t instantly reply to inquiries from Fox Information Digital.
Blackmon’s public defender, Monica Burnette, couldn’t be reached for remark.
