In the quiet overnight hours, gunfire shattered the calm outside the Elizabethtown Police Department when a drive-by shooting left one person wounded and the station itself riddled with bullets, according to the Bladen County Sheriff's Office.
The shots rang out just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Callers told dispatchers the gunfire came from a white Honda. Deputies were not hurt in the chaos, and the suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment after an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement, officials said. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is stepping in to handle the case.
What Authorities Said
According to Spectrum News, Bladen County 911 first received a call about shots fired at around 12:30 a.m. A second caller reported that the shots were coming from a white Honda.
The sheriff's news release, as reported by Spectrum News, says a deputy then attempted to stop a vehicle matching that description. Before the deputy could complete the stop, a suspect allegedly opened fire, and deputies fired back.
The Elizabethtown Police Department building was "struck multiple times" by gunfire, according to the release. Officials say no deputies were injured during the incident.
State Investigators To Handle Probe
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will lead the inquiry, a step the agency often takes in officer-involved shootings, according to the N.C. SBI. The agency typically sends in teams to process crime scenes, collect surveillance and body-worn camera footage, and interview witnesses before handing its findings to prosecutors.
The idea is to bring in an outside unit to take a neutral look at situations where law enforcement officers have fired on a suspect.
Violent Encounters Have Trended This Year
This latest shooting is not happening in a vacuum. The county has already seen tense and violent encounters in recent months. WECT reported that a man arrested after a February confrontation that wounded a Bladen County deputy was later indicted on attempted murder charges.
Local officials have repeatedly requested SBI oversight in complex or officer-involved cases, underscoring how heavily the county leans on the state agency for independent reviews.
Neighbors in Elizabethtown, the county seat, said the overnight gunfire hitting the police station itself rattled residents who had assumed the department building was one of the safest spots in town.
What Happens Next
SBI investigators are expected to canvass the area and review any available video and forensic evidence before releasing additional details, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bladen County Sheriff's Office at (910) 862-6960 or through the contact page at the Bladen County Sheriff's Office.
For now, authorities are urging the public to hold off on speculation while the state-led review plays out.
