CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating a deadly police shooting that left the suspect dead. No law enforcement officers were injured.
On Sunday shortly before 2:30 p.m., the State Highway Patrol was notified of a collision involving an overturned vehicle in Caldwell County on US 321 near Mission Road.
Officials were told the person with the vehicle had an assault rifle and a pistol, and was waving the rifle around and talking about needing a ride. Another caller told authorities the suspect had made statements saying if police came, someone would die.
A Caldwell County Sheriff's deputy, who has not been publicly named, arrived at the scene and North Carolina State Trooper Bryson G. Bowman arrived shortly after. Officials say once authorities were at the scene, the suspect fired shots at the officers, who both returned fire.
The suspect, who has since been identified as 35-year-old Jerome Lavon Connelly of Morganton, fled into a wooded area and was later found with "a believed gunshot wound," officials said. Authorities provided aid until emergency personnel arrived and took Connelly to an area hospital, where he later died.
The trooper and deputy were not injured.
Multiple firearms were found in Connelly's possession. Agents at the scene searched the overturned vehicle and found a "significant quantity" of suspected illegal narcotics.
Bowman and the deputy were both placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.
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