World News | Deputy Killed, K-9 Shot as North Carolina Standoff Continues
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A North Carolina sheriff's deputy has died and his canine companion has been wounded in a shooting that prompted a continuing standoff.
Boone, Apr 29 (AP) A North Carolina sheriff's deputy has died and his canine companion has been wounded in a shooting that prompted a continuing standoff.
Watauga County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Ward was dispatched to a home in Boone at 9:44 a.m. after the homeowner and his family didn't report to work or answer telephone calls, his office said in a news release. He entered the home with a trained law enforcement dog and both were hit by gunfire.
Sheriff Len Hagaman said Ward died at a hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he was taken after being removed from the scene, while the K-9 deputy, Logan Fox, remained inside the home, condition unknown, as the standoff continued.
The conditions of the other people in the house wasn't known Wednesday night.
“This is an incredibly tragic situation and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved as well as their families and our community,” Hagaman said. “I greatly appreciate the tremendous support we are receiving from law enforcement agencies across the region and the state.”
The sheriff's office said law enforcement officers have surrounded the home and residents in the vicinity of the standoff have been evacuated. The shooter remains active on the scene, the news release said.
Approximately 15 law-enforcement agencies, including the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the N.C. State Highway Patrol, responded to the standoff.
Clarence Wilson, 78, was on his porch when deputies pulled up in front of the house across the street. Gunfire erupted after the deputies arrived, Wilson said.
“Then they told me to get back in the house and stay,” he said.
Wilson said he later saw deputies pull a man from the house.
“I don't know if it was a deputy or who it was,” he said. “I was just worried about keeping myself safe.” Wilson said he heard a second barrage of gunfire around noon as the house remained surrounded.
He said it's a “real quiet neighborhood” with many retirees like himself.
“We ain't used to all this,” he said. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)