A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy is in critical condition after being wounded in an early morning shootout with a suspect who was shot dead, according to several news reports.
Police haven’t released the identity of the officer nor the man who was killed, NBC affiliate WYFF News 4 reported.
Someone called 911 about 2:50 a.m. Thursday to report a possible vehicle break-in at a home on Bethea Drive in the community of Mountain Home, near Hendersonville.
Before officers arrived, a shootout was already underway between the homeowner and at least one suspect who apparently tried to break into a car parked at the residence.
“The original caller stated shots were being exchanged between the homeowner and suspects,” said Henderson County Sheriff’s spokesman Johnny Duncan Jr., according to WYFF.
Deputies arrived at the scene about 3:04 a.m. and quickly encountered the suspect who opened fire, Duncan said. Officers returned fire and killed the gunman, but an officer was also hit during the exchange.
The wounded deputy was rushed to Mission Hospital in critical condition.
The department did not reveal any other details about the officer’s injuries.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.
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