UNION — Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office faced a potentially dangerous situation on the roads in Union Wednesday afternoon when a 48-year-old woman, who was reportedly highly intoxicated and had threatened people, fled the scene in her vehicle and drove at speeds of 60 to 80 mph as she refused to stop for them.

Deputy Nathaniel Jack and Sgt. John Palmer responded to a residence on South Union Road in Union just after 3 p.m. after a caller dialed 911 about the woman, who had allegedly threatened people at the house. The woman was identified as Amy Gray of Union.

According to Chief Deputy Tim Carroll, while the deputies were en route to the residence, the caller told a Knox County Regional Communications dispatcher that Gray was attempting to leave and that they were trying to stop her from getting into her vehicle.

As Jack and Palmer were arriving, Gray's vehicle was on the road and heading south on Route 131 (South Union Road). Jack activated his cruiser's blue lights, and then the siren, in an to attempt to alert Gray and get her to stop.

"According to the deputies following, she was operating erratically and was failing to stop," said Carroll in a news release Thursday.

Traveling on Route 131 at high rates of speed, Gray turned onto Wottons Mill Road and then turned west onto Route 17. She then drove back to South Union Road and eventually pulled back into the driveway where the incident originated. Gray and the deputies following her covered nearly 8 miles before the chase came to an end.

During the time that the officers were following Gray, periodically reporting her location and speeds, four other deputies were moving toward the area and trying to get into position to attempt to stop the car by using a spike mat, which would serve to deflate the tires and disable to vehicle. But the other deputies did not get there before Gray drove back to the residence, according to Carroll, putting an end to the eight-minute road portion of the incident.

"It's always that fine line that law enforcement officers face, that is it too dangerous to chase or are you better off staying with the vehicle being a warning of lights and siren that alert people that something is coming?," said Carroll in the release. "Aside from the speed being driven, deputies have to rely on the information they received, as that she was 'highly intoxicated' and her operation was 'all over the road.' [It is] a decision that a law enforcement officer will be criticized highly for if something should go wrong either way."

Carroll said that while Gray was being dealt with at the residence, she was "very uncooperative." That behavior continued at the jail, he said, when at one point she attempted to tie something around her neck after being placed in a cell.

"A corrections officer immediately went in and was able to pull the item off her, but she became very combative with that officer," said Carroll.

Jack tried to assist in getting Gray under control at the jail, and she allegedly would not comply, so an electronic stun control device was used for one second on Gray to get her under control without hurting the officers or herself.

Gray was charged with domestic assault (class D), operating under the influence (class D), attempting to elude an officer (class C felony), driving to endanger (class E), failure to stop for an officer (class E) and criminal speeding (class E).

She has since been released on bail.

"We are very grateful that this ended well, with no one hurt and that a reckless, drunk driver was taken off the road safely," said Carroll.

In December, Wottons Mill Road, off Route 17, in Union was the site of a double-fatal car accident, involving a fleeing teenage driver and a pursuing Rockport reserve police officer.