Local deputy nominated for America's Most Wanted 'All Star' contest

March 7, 2009 by Jeff Aydelette

Supporters of Deputy Crystal Hardison are voting daily on the TV show's website

America’s Most Wanted, the well known Saturday night TV show on Fox, has a Pamlico County entry in the network’s ‘All-Star’ contest, honoring law enforcement officers and first responders from throughout the country.

Deputy Crystal Hardison, 24, is one of more than 100 nominees, all of whom are eligible for further recognition based upon the number of votes received on the www.amw.com website or by text-messaging from a Sprint or Nextel cell phone.

In early February, Hardison, on routine patrol, spotted a stolen vehicle, which subsequently led to a high-speed chase the back roads of three counties. The suspects were eventually apprehended thanks in large part to Hardison’s safe, but relentless, pursuit. The county’s only female patrol officer is well-regarded by her colleagues.

“Don’t let her size fool you,” said supervisor Dan Lamont a day after the chase. “She is mighty tough and she did an outstanding job on this one. Never once through the entire chase did Crystal lose sight of that stolen car.”

Sprint, the telecommunications giant, is sponsoring the eight-week annual competition. Week Three concludes Saturday night at midnight, with the week’s top vote getter announced next Saturday, March 14, during the America’s Most Wanted broadcast.

By late April, the show will have eight weekly ‘finalists’ who compete during May for the overall championship, with the winner announced in person at the May 24 NASCAR race in Charlotte.

Viewers are encouraged to vote daily, a technique designed to drive traffic to the show’s website and to generate text-messaging revenue for Sprint.

To vote for Hardison, visit http://www.amw.com/allstar/2009/nominee_detail.cfm?id=6518

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