By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A Columbus County, North Carolina, sheriff’s deputy was shot Wednesday morning during an altercation with a suspect who had fled a traffic stop on foot.
- The incident began just before 8 a.m. in the Delco area of Columbus County when the suspect fled a traffic stop, leading to a pursuit and crash.
- The suspect fled the crash scene on foot, and a deputy who encountered him was shot during an ensuing altercation before the suspect fled again.
- The deputy is in stable condition at a hospital.
- About 75 officers, troopers and deputies are searching for the suspect, who remains at large; residents are urged to secure their property and report suspicious activity.
COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. — A Columbus County sheriff’s deputy was shot Wednesday morning while confronting a man who had fled a traffic stop, according to the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began just before 8 a.m. in the Delco area, about 145 miles southeast of downtown Raleigh, when a driver fled a traffic stop, prompting a pursuit. “The suspect fled. A pursuit ensued. The suspect lost control of their vehicle resulting in a motor vehicle crash,” the sheriff’s office said in a Sept. 16 news release.
The suspect then fled the crash scene on foot. “A Columbus County Sheriff’s Office deputy encountered the suspect, an altercation occurred, resulting in the deputy sustaining a gunshot wound,” the release said. “The suspect then fled again on foot.”
The deputy is in stable condition at a hospital, officials said. Approximately 75 officers, troopers and deputies are currently searching for the suspect, who remains at large. The sheriff’s office is urging area residents to secure their property and vehicles and to report any suspicious activity or individuals.