Man shot dead by Sampson County deputy after chase

Family members tell WRAL 39-year-old Billy Joe Faircloth Jr. has died after being shot by a sheriff's deputy following a chase on Saturday. The Sampson County sheriff's office said after a pursuit, Faircloth was shot after he drew a firearm.
Posted 5/24/2025, 11:15:00 PM Updated 5/25/2025, 4:32:43 AM

HOME IN RALEIGH. WHAT WE KNOW

ABOUT THAT FIRE. GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

TONIGHT. I'M JULIAN GRACE.

WHAT WE ARE FOLLOWING A

DEVELOPING STORY OUT OF SAMPSON

COUNTY THIS EVENING. THIS MAN

RIGHT HERE.

>> BILLIE JO FAIR, COUGH JUNIOR

IS DEAD AFTER BEING SHOT BY

DEPUTIES FOLLOWING A CHASE.

AND THEN A CRASH THAT HAPPENED

AT THE INTERSECTION OF US 4.21.

AND KITTY FORK ROAD AT AROUND

9.30, THIS MORNING. THAT'S

WHERE WRAL'S WILLING DATA LEE

WAS EARLIER TONIGHT.

ACCORDING TO THE SAMPSON COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE MAN

KILLED IN THIS OFFICER INVOLVED

SHOOTING LED DEPUTIES ON A

CHASE ON A MOTORCYCLE AND REACH

FOR WEAPONS BEFORE BEING SHOT.

>> IS NOT BECAUSE ONLY SOME OF

>> THAT'S ALL WE HIT. THIS IS

39 YEAR-OLD BILLY FAIRCLOUGH

JUNIOR. ACCORDING TO HIS

FAMILY. HE'S THE MAN SHOT AND

KILLED BY A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY

AFTER A CHASE AROUND 9.30 THIS

MORNING. SAMPSON COUNTY SHERIFF

DEPUTIES PURSUED FAIRCLOUGH

FOR REGISTRATION VIOLATION.

THAT CHASE ENDED WHEN

FAIRCLOUGH CRASHED. HIS

MOTORCYCLE HERE AT THE

INTERSECTION OF US 4.21.

AND KITTY FORK ROAD ACCORDING

TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE,

FAIRCLOUGH WAS ARMED AND REACH

FOR A WEAPON AFTER THE CRASH.

THAT'S WHEN THE DEPUTY FIRED

SHOTS. THEY ATTEMPTED TO

PERFORM FIRST AID BUT

FAIRCLOUGH WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD

AT A HOSPITAL. HIS COUSIN

ELIZABETH TOLD WRAL SHE'S HEARD

CONFLICTING STORIES ABOUT HOW

THE OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING

UNFOLDED. SHE WANTS ANSWERS.

HE DID WHAT WAS ASKED.

>> AND NEWS, 17 CASINGS.

ON THE GROUND.

AFTER HE WAS ASKED TO DISARM

HIS IF I WERE HIM. IT STILL

MAKES SEATS.

>> THOSE ARE SOME OF THEIR

CLASS BELONGINGS LEFT SCATTERED

ON THE GROUND FOLLOWING THE

SHOOTING.

ONE OF HIS COUSIN SENT ME A

MESSAGE THAT READS IN PART, MY

COUSIN MADE MISTAKES. HE WAS

INVOLVED IN THINGS LIKE THEFT

AND WE'RE NOT HERE TO DENY THAT

ARE PRETENDING THAT HE WAS

PERFECT. BUT HE WAS STILL A

HUMAN BEING. A SON, A FRIEND

AND SOMEONE WHO HAD PEOPLE WHO

LOVED HIM. ELIZABETH FAIRCLOUGH

SAYS HER FAMILY IS DETERMINED

TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS

ANSWERED.

>> IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, SAY

SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A

FAMILY MEMBER.

>> THE FAIRCLOUGH FAMILY TELL

ME DUE TO THIS ONGOING

INVESTIGATION, THEY HAVE NOT

BEEN ABLE TO SEE BILLIE'S BODY

WERE TO SAY GOODBYE. I HAVE

REACHED OUT TO THE SAMPSON

COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO

LEARN MORE ABOUT THOSE DEPUTIES

INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING.

IT TO SEE IF THEY WILL BE

PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE