Deputy kills man who had another deputy on his back and gun in hand, NC sheriff says
A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a man who grabbed a gun while another deputy was on his back trying to subdue him in the bedroom of a home, Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen said Thursday.
Jordan Mays died after the deputy fired five bullets from his AR-15 rifle “at close range” of Mays, Allen said in a Rowan County Sheriff’s Office statement. At least one bullet hit Mays in the head, killing him, the sheriff said.
Responding to a tip, five deputies went to the single-wide trailer at 138 Thriftwood Court late Tuesday afternoon to serve warrants on Mays and another suspect, Jeremy Brock, according to the sheriff’s statement. Mays was on a wanted list issued by the N.C. Probation and Parole office, Allen said.
Mays had outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, driving while licensed revoked and a probation violation, according to the sheriff’s office.
Five deputies were on the scene at the time of the call — all of whom were the master deputy rank. They included Jessica Abrams, David Scott, Travis James, Chase Safrit and Adam Dyles. All five have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Deputies arrive at scene
Deputies used speakers from a patrol vehicle to announce their presence and call out to Mays and Brock. They closed in on the trailer after several unsuccessful attempts. Some questioned a woman behind the trailer. Others noticed movement in a detached garage and discovered Brock inside. He was arrested without incident, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies entered the trailer because they believed Mays was inside and, the sheriff’s statement said, announced their presence numerous times.
Inside the bedroom
After entering the bedroom, they found Mays on the bed with a woman. The sheriff said a handgun was on a desk or table inside the bedroom and that deputies commanded Mays not to reach for the gun and to show his hands.
Allen said body camera video shows Dyles “going hands on” with Mays, struggling with him on a bed and then on the floor. It’s not clear how the struggle started.
Another deputy tried to reach Mays while a third deputy, Travis James, stood just inside the bedroom door “covering the two other deputies with his AR-15 rifle as they try to subdue” Mays, Allen said.
When a deputy yelled “tase him,” Mays rose from the floor with Dyles on his back and grabbed a gun from a desk, the sheriff said.
James said “gun” several times to his fellow deputies in the room and shot Mays when the man turned around with the gun in his hand, Allen said.
It only took a few seconds
Police said James struck Mays in the head with at least one of the reported five rounds fired from his rifle. The round was fatal.
The total encounter inside the bedroom was only a few seconds, according to the sheriff’s office. One deputy attempted to aid Mays, but all deputies left the trailer and secured the scene when they determined aid wasn’t possible because of the severity of the injuries, Allen said.
“It is never our desire to be involved in a lethal, deadly force encounter,” Allen said in the news release. “However, we are often forced into this outcome by those that would mean harm to others. We take steps and train to avoid these confrontations.”
Neighbor Tina Key said she and her son “heard three pops, and we thought the neighbors were just shooting,” WSOC reported. Within 10 minutes, they saw police cars arrive, she said.
“I was scared,” Key told WSOC. “I even was so scared when it happened and the cops came. I left for the night.”
Investigation continues
Police removed $3,000 in cash, three handguns and an undisclosed amount of what they believed is crystal methamphetamine from the bedroom.
Allen offered condolences to the Mays family and requested the public respect the deputies and their families’ privacy.
The names of the other individuals at the residence have not yet been released. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the investigation, will release more details as they become available.
The fatal shooting was the second involving Rowan County sheriff’s deputies in recent months.
On Nov. 29, deputies and police killed a man who shot two officers and a firefighter with a pellet shotgun during a house fire, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 11:39 AM.
