IFN Staff

The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting by an Iredell County Sheriff’s Office deputy that occurred Monday afternoon outside of the Family Dollar store in Harmony.

ICSO deputies were dispatched to the Family Dollar located at 3338 Harmony Highway shortly before 3:30 p.m. in response to a relative’s concerns about a man who was at that location, Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a news release. 

When a deputy — whose name was not released — arrived at the store, he observed a man attempting to enter the store while armed with an edged weapon, the sheriff said. In an effort to protect the public and prevent the man from entering the store, the deputy positioned his vehicle in front of the store’s entrance.

After the man ignored numerous commands to drop his weapon, the deputy deployed a Taser in an attempt to subdue him, but the Taser was ineffective, Campbell said.

Despite repeated warnings to drop his weapon, the man continued to move toward the store’s entrance until the deputy shot him with his firearm, according to the news release.

 “Our deputies are trained to make split-second decisions in the interest of public safety,” Campbell said. “In this case, the deputy prevented an armed individual from entering a store with innocent customers.”

The man, whose name was not released by the Sheriff’s Office, was transported to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem in stable condition.

The deputy, who was not injured, has been placed on paid leave pending an administrative investigation.

In accordance with standard procedure, the sheriff contacted the SBI and requested that agency conduct an independent investigation of the shooting.