Two Lenoir County sheriff's deputies were shot responding to a gunfire call on Jonestown Road near Pink Hill, with one wounded in the stomach and undergoing surgery Friday. Authorities say the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, and both deputies were taken to a Greenville hospital following the shooting.
Deputies Shot Twice While Trying to Reach Suspect
According to WRAL, the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office received a report of someone firing shots in the area before deputies arrived and were fired upon by a man at the scene. A man hit one deputy, and deputies returned fire at him, WRAL reports. The man then fired at deputies again as they tried to get him to come outside, resulting in a second deputy being shot, Lenoir County Sheriff Jackie Rogers said, per the same report.
Separately, CBS17 reported that the man was shooting at people passing by before turning his gun on responding deputies from a house. One deputy was shot in the stomach, according to that account, and both injured deputies were taken to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, with one undergoing surgery. CBS17 reported that both deputies are expected to survive.
Timing and Response Details Vary by Outlet
Accounts of the timeline differ. The Lenoir County Sheriff's Office said in a statement carried by Neuse News that it responded to a call on Jonestown Road at approximately 11:15 a.m. Friday, while CBS17 reported the shooting was reported before 12:40 p.m. in the 700 block of Jonestown Road. The sheriff's office statement said that when deputies arrived, one deputy was shot, prompting the others to take cover and call for backup; a second deputy was then shot while deputies were trying to get the individual to come out of the home.
Law enforcement eventually breached the home using a drone and found the suspect in a bedroom, according to WECT. Two armored vehicles and two crisis negotiators from the Greenville Police Department were called in to assist, CBS17 reported. The sheriff's offices of Jones, Duplin, Greene, Nash, and Craven counties also assisted at the scene, per the Neuse News statement.
Conflicting Word on Suspect's Fate
Accounts conflict on what happened to the man inside the home. CBS17 reported that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed the suspect is dead. WECT, however, reported that Sheriff Rogers would not say the status of the suspect. WRAL reported that Rogers declined to comment on whether the man took his own life, telling reporters, “We're not going to comment on that,” according to that outlet.
Rogers described the area as unusually peaceful, saying, “This is a very quiet portion of Lenoir County,” per WRAL's report. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was processing the scene, according to the Neuse News statement. The sheriff's office said the scene is secure and there is no danger to the public, and officials asked residents to avoid Jonestown Road while the investigation continues.
Part of a Rough Stretch for NC Law Enforcement
The shooting adds to what WRAL has described as several violent encounters involving North Carolina law enforcement in recent weeks. That reporting noted Chatham County deputy Matthew Mitchell was shot in the arm and leg during a hostage situation on Dec. 16 and was expected to make a full recovery, while Franklin County deputy Taylor Lucas was shot in the chest at point-blank range on Dec. 18 and returned home the next day to recover. The same report noted that WakeMed Garner Healthplex campus police officer Roger Smith was shot and killed in November after an altercation with a man who was allegedly acting erratically.
