It's been a dangerous couple of weeks for law enforcement in North Carolina.
In the last month:
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- Two sheriff deputies and two Mint Hill officers were shot and injured,
- officers responding to a Zebulon bank robbery were shot at
- and a Fayetteville woman allegedly lunged at Cumberland County deputies with a knife.
On Monday, WRAL News spoke with Back the Blue NC founder and CEO Lindsay LiCausi about the shootings.
LiCausi says there is a growing pattern of this type of violence taking place during the holidays.
“It seems like it is just constant around the holidays,” LiCausi said. “We need to remember what the holidays are about. Hopefully we as a law enforcement community and as a civilian community can figure out ways to come together and understand each other better and lessen these violent occurrences.
LiCausi said she immediately began praying for each officer after hearing about the shootings. She says it was a relief to learn that they are OK, but it’s likely their approach to the job will be different now.
“If you're involved in a situation where you are facing danger or you're injured, you may have hesitation going forward in order to perform your duties,” LiCausi said. “Not only that, but your family is consistently worried about you even more than they were before.”
Chatham County, Franklin County deputies recovering
Chatham County deputy Matthew Mitchell was shot in the arm and leg on Dec. 16 during a hostage situation. Mitchell is expected to make a full recovery.
On Dec. 18, Franklin County deputy Taylor Lucas was shot in the chest at point-blank range. The day after, Lucas returned home to recover.
Man accused of robbing Zebulon bank, shooting at officers now federally charged
According to the U.S. Justice Department, a federal judge charged Willie Edward McGee Jr. with bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
McGee was charged after police say he gave a written note to an employee on Friday at the First Citizens Bank on Wakelon Street in Zebulon that said he had an explosive device in his semitruck. Federal prosecutors said McGee left the bank with $3,234 in cash.
After police tracked his truck to a Hobby Lobby parking lot on Sutters Creek Boulevard in Rocky Mount. Zebulon police officers contacted Rocky Mount authorities to assist them. According to federal prosecutors, McGee then got out of the truck around with a Ruger AR 5.56 rifle and began shooting at the officers.
Federal prosecutors said the officers then shot back, hitting McGee. As they took McGee into custody, authorities found a handgun in his waistband. As of Sunday, McGee was in the hospital in stable condition.
No police officers or people near the shootnig were injured during McGee's arrest.
$100K+ bond for woman who allegedly charged Cumberland deputy with a knife
A Fayetteville woman faces a bond greater than $100,000 on assault charges after an encounter last month with Cumberland County deputies.
Dorothy Lakay Simpkins, 46, lunged at deputies with a knife, the sheriff's office said, when they responded to a 911 call on Nov. 25 at a home in the 6700 block of Camden Road.
Other encounters with NC law enforcement
In November, WakeMed Garner Healthplex campus police officer Roger Smith was shot and killed after an altercation with a man who was allegedly acting erratically.
There's also been recent incidents where law enforcement shot at other people, but there were no little to no details as to what led up to their shootings.
In late November, a Coats police officer shot a person. In early December, a State Highway Patrol trooper fatally shot a man who was allegedly armed with a handgun and ignored commands from the trooper.
