IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — The gun being held by a man shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy in Iredell County on June 30 has been determined to be an airsoft gun that was "indistinguishable in appearance from an actual firearm," the sheriff's office said for the first time Wednesday.
The gun can be seen in an image shared by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office. In the picture, the gun appears to lack an orange tip or any other visual identifier marking it as a pellet gun.
On June 30, deputies responded to the home along Bell Farm Road in search of Gregory Ray Cribb. When deputies first arrived at the home, they said no one answered the door, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies left after about an hour.
Cribb had arrest warrants for failing to appear in court. Cribb was scheduled to appear for a 2021 incident in Catawba County.
Less than an hour after leaving the home, deputies learned Cribb may have been seen at the address. Deputies went to the house a second time. After waiting another hour for a response, three adults came to the door, officials explained. Deputies claim all three people gave conflicting stories. Deputies determined Cribb was likely still at the house and officials began a search.
During their search, a deputy discovered a small door in a bedroom closet, the sheriff's office said. That door provided access to a hidden crawlspace.
A deputy approached the crawlspace from the rear of the house and found Cribb hiding, the sheriff's office explained. Deputies claim Cribb did not surrender and aimed an airsoft gun at the deputy. The deputy fired several shots toward Cribb after seeing Cribb and his gun, the sheriff's office explained.
Cribb was pronounced dead at the scene. In a Facebook post Wednesday, the sheriff's office defended the deputy and wrote the airsoft gun resembled a genuine semi-automatic rifle.
In their social media post, the sheriff's office said deputies knew of Cribb's criminal record, including his alleged membership to a gang, the sheriff's office said citing the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.
Cribbwas to appear in court for a September 2021 incident involving robbery, possession of a dangerous weapon, and kidnapping, the Iredell County Sheriff's Office said. Nearly two years later, the Hickory Police Department was still seeking the arrest of Cribb.
The three other people at the home in Iredell County have been charged with the misdemeanor offense of harboring a fugitive.
The deputy who shot Cribb has not been publically identified. That deputy remains on administrative leave, according to the sheriff's office. As is typical following shootings involving a law enforcement officer, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the deputy's use of a firearm.