Investigators were still around the area of Kitty Fork Road and U.S. 421 midday Saturday looking into a motorcycle chase that ended when a deputy shot the suspect who reportedly pulled his gun. (Anthony Goodman|Sampson Independent)
Investigators were still around the area of Kitty Fork Road and U.S. 421 midday Saturday looking into a motorcycle chase that ended when a deputy shot the suspect who reportedly pulled his gun. (Anthony Goodman|Sampson Independent)
Investigators were still around the area of Kitty Fork Road and U.S. 421 midday Saturday looking into a motorcycle chase that ended when a deputy shot the suspect who reportedly pulled his gun. (Anthony Goodman|Sampson Independent)
A motorcycle chase turned deadly Saturday morning near Kitty Fork when a Sampson County Sheriff’s deputy fired at the suspect, who reportedly had drawn his weapon. The motorcycle driver later died.
The incident, which occurred around 9:30 a.m., is still very fluid, with State Bureau of Investigation agents, along with sheriff’s investigators, on-scene detailing what occurred.
The name of the shooting victim has not yet been released. Sheriff’s Capt. Marcus Smith cited the fluidity of the situation as the reason for few details being provided at this time and noted that the SBI, per protocol, was leading the investigation.
The chase started the chain of events around 9:30 a.m. when deputies attempted to stop the motorcycle for a registration violation on U.S. 421 just north of Clinton.
According to Smith, a pursuit ensued onto several county secondary roads and eventually back to U.S. 421 near Kitty Fork Road. During the pursuit, the captain said, deputies noticed that the motorcycle operator had a firearm on his side.
When the motorcycle driver approached Kitty Fork, Smith said, the operator lost control of the bike and crashed.
At that point, reports note that the motorcycle operator drew his weapon and a deputy fired their service revolver, striking the suspect.
Deputies, Smith said, immediately began administering first aid on the suspect until emergency medical personnel arrived. The driver was taken to Sampson Regional Medical Center where lifesaving efforts were continued until he was later pronounced dead.
Radio traffic during the incident noted that shots had been fired and someone had reportedly been shot in the neck, abdomen and leg. That same radio traffic called for EMS and Sheriff Jimmy Thornton to come to the scene.
The deputy has not been identified at this time.
No officers, Smith said, were injured.
In a release issued to the media, Smith said no further information was available. He did note that additional details could be released later.