An Edgecombe County sheriff's deputy fired a shot at a man who pointed his rifle at the deputies who arrived at his home to investigate a larceny.
That man, whose name was not released, was waiting outside a home in the 10000 block of N.C. Highway 43 North between Rocky Mount and Pinetops when deputies arrived.
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Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson Jr. said two deputies responded to the initial call -- a field training officer and a trainee.
The man aimed a rifle at a deputy, and the field training officer fired, the sheriff's office said. The man went back in the house still armed with a rifle, and deputies took cover outside.
"We showed up for one thing and got presented with an unknown," said Atkinson.
WRAL's Sky 5 showed shattered glass in the front door and at least eight law enforcement vehicles and a mobile command center surrounding the home.
Eventually, a special response team was able to get into the house, where they found the man dead. The sheriff said the man was 36 years old.
"The suspect later returned back into the home, at which time we notified our team, deployed our SRT team," Atkinson said. "They later arrived back at the scene about an hour later and discovered the suspect deceased."
The deputy's use of his weapon will be investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation, as is standard procedure.
The Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office did not release the names or other identifying information of any of the people involved.
Gavin Burdick, who lives in the area, said it's a sad situation.
"Everyone who's been here knows everybody, so it's wild to see something like that," Burdick said.
Atkinson said the shooting was an isolated occurrence and that he's praying for everyone involved.