In this photo provided by WJZY, a tactical van from Caldwell County, North Carolina, sits on stand-by at a staging area in Boone, N.C., on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Law enforcement agencies responded to a standoff in Boone in which two Watauga County sheriff’s deputies were shot and wounded. (Morgan Frances/WJZY via AP)
A community is in mourning after a 14-hour long stand-off in North Carolina left two officers and three civilians, including the suspect, dead. According to Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman on Thursday, Sergeant Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox both died from their injuries.
Our hearts are broken for our law enforcement partners at the Watauga County Sheriff's Office. There are no words to explain the sorrow the #FBI family feels for you. We continue to be thankful for the men and women who put themselves in harm's way to protect our communities. pic.twitter.com/M6mWLmke4o
— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) April 29, 2021
Both officers were reportedly injured during a welfare check Wednesday in Boone, which is a city just northwest of Charlotte.
The pair were met with gunfire when they entered the home. Hagaman said there was no doubt the suspect ambushed the officers.
“He was waiting for the officers and we had had an issue with him over the weekend,” Sheriff Hagaman explained. “The compassion for the community and doing the right thing, they [the officers] did that. They didn’t expect this, but they were doing the right thing.”
Authorities have not released the identities of the suspect or the other victims, however, they did say the suspect was 32-years-old.
Source: One America News Network
