Murphy man arrested for failing to report address change as required by law

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.

Murphy, NC— Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the July 14th, 2015 arrest of Gabriel Ray Palmer, a 39-year-old Murphy, North Carolina man for violations of the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry.

Gabriel Ray Palmer

In late May of 2015, Palmer moved from his Marble, North Carolina residence and failed to report to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office to notify of his change of address. A warrant was issued for Palmer’s arrest and efforts were made to locate him.

On July 14, 2015, an off duty Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office employee spotted Palmer at a local grocery store and notified the Sheriff’s Office of the location of Palmer. When the deputy arrived and got out of his vehicle, Palmer fled on foot. The deputy gave foot chase and apprehended Palmer a short distance later.

Palmer was taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where he is currently being held on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to be in Cherokee County District Court on July 29th, 2015.

Sheriff Palmer said, “I want to commend my employees on the capture of Palmer. We continually strive to keep our community safe and it is good to see that we never go off the clock. My Office is committed to protecting the community including ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Sex Offender Registry.”

To report crime in Cherokee County, call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.