PENDER COUNTY — An armed person died in a Pender County sheriff’s deputy-involved shooting at a location along NC Highway 210 in the Canetuck community Tuesday.
Shortly after 10 a.m., deputies arrived on the scene in attempt to serve a 50B order, commonly known as a domestic violence protective order. They encountered an armed subject, according to the sheriff’s office, and a shooting ensued. No deputies were injured in the shooting, though the armed person died.
The sheriff’s office said it does not believe anybody else is in danger at this time.
The two deputies involved in the shooting will be placed on leave, as is standard protocol by the sheriff’s department, according to District Attorney Ben David, who spoke at an afternoon press conference.
David serves as DA for both New Hanover and Pender counties. He confirmed the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) was called in to look into the case.
“This is what we do in all officer-involved use-of-force cases,” District Attorney Ben David said. “We call for an outside independent investigation.”
The SBI will determine if criminal charges will be brought against anyone involved in the shooting after reviewing all physical evidence, footage from body-worn cameras and witness statements.
“The Supreme Court has said that these are rapidly involving intense situations that don’t have the benefits of hindsight, so instead what we should do is look to whether or not similarly situated officers would use the same force necessary that was used here or not,” David said.
The names of those involved in the shooting have not been released, as the SBI is still making notifications. David said additional information will become available as the investigation continues for days, perhaps even weeks.
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, agents were still actively processing the scene.
“We believe in going where the truth leads and we believe in being transparent and we believe that community trust in this process is essential,” David said.
Tips or comments? Email [email protected].
