BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A Brunswick County man died from a gunshot wound sustained while fleeing a traffic stop; according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the man attempted to ram a trooper.
The incident took place near Shallotte on Tuesday night around 8:55 p.m. when, according to the State Highway Patrol (SHP), 28-year-old Brandon Lovell Webster of Shallotte was stopped by a state trooper.
“[T]he North Carolina State Highway Patrol initiated a traffic stop on NC 130 (Holden Beach Road) near Shallotte. During the course of the stop, the trooper discharged his firearm as the violator vehicle accelerated towards him, fleeing the scene,” according to a release from SHP Spokesperson Sergeant Chris Knox.
According to authorities, Webster was located at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center shortly after the incident; Webster died in the hospital as the result of gunshot injuries.
Trooper S. A. Collins, assigned to Troop B, District 6, Brunswick County is a one-year veteran of the State Highway Patrol. Collins has been placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, which is standard policy for all officer-involved shootings.
According to SHP, due to the ongoing SBI investigation, additional details related to the incident cannot be provided.
According to state records, Webster had several felony drug possession convictions from 2008 and 2013; he was also due in Brunswick County later this month on traffic charges (driving with a revoked license).
