Man shoots himself during arrest and bullet also hits SBI agent, NC officials say

An arrest turned chaotic in western North Carolina when a suspect shot himself and the bullet also struck a special agent in his protective vest, according to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.

It happened Friday at a strip mall in Spruce Pine, as agents were attempting arrest 52-year-old Timothy Alan Hoilman, the SBI said in a May 15 news release.

“A team of special agents, in cooperation with Spruce Pine Police Department, was serving an arrest warrant on a subject charged with two counts of statutory sex offense with a child 15 years or younger and one count of statutory rape of a child 15 years or younger,” the SBI reports.

“When approached by the special agents, the suspect drew a concealed weapon and sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The discharged round also struck an SBI Special Agent in his protective vest.”

SBI agents rendered emergency medical aid to Hoilman, and he was taken to a nearby medical facility, officials said.

Hoilman died later in the day, the SBI said.

The agent struck by the bullet was examined by emergency medical services personnel at the scene and was not seriously injured, officials said. His identity was not released.

Spruce Pine is about a 115-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 1:44 PM.