CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An Avery County detention officer is on administrative leave following a deadly shooting over the weekend, officials said.
Avery County deputies responded to a reported fight between two men on Teaster Valley Lane around 8 p.m. on Sept. 30. When deputies got there, they learned that Brenden James Smith and Michael Andrew Houser got into a fight that led to Smith shooting Houser, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Smith remained at the scene and gave deputies his account of the incident, according to Sheriff Mike Henley. Smith is employed as a detention officer with the Avery County Sheriff's Office. He was immediately played on administrative leave while the incident is investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, which will determine if any charges will be filed in the case.
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