Hickory police said man pointed gun at them before officers killed him
Hickory police said a drug suspect retrieved a gun and pointed it at them before officers fatally shot him on Friday morning.
Police said they went to the home of William David Whetstone, 33, to serve a narcotics search warrant on him.
Officers entered the home in the 1200 block of 12th Street Place at about 8:15 a.m., saw Whetstone and ordered him not to move, police said in a statement Friday afternoon. Whetstone then reached between the cushions of a sofa for a handgun and pointed it at the officers, according to the statement. Officers then shot him.
Catawba County EMS pronounced Whetstone dead at the scene.
During the altercation, Hickory police Sgt. Rodney Harris was shot in the arm. Harris was treated at a hospital and released, police said.
Hickory police immediately requested the State Bureau of Investigation conduct an independent investigation.
The officers who fired their weapons, Master Police Officer David Lee and Sgt. Randy Isenhour, have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure.
“This is a tragic situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved,” Hickory Police Chief Thurman Whisnant said.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak
This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 9:59 AM with the headline "Hickory police said man pointed gun at them before officers killed him."