ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — After months of investigation, the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office found that the deadly shooting of Jordan Mays by a deputy on Feb. 14 was justified.
Rowan District Attorney Brandy Cook released her report on the incident on Tuesday, finding that an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation concluded that a deputy acted lawfully when he shot and killed Mays.
Five Rowan County deputies arrived at a home in Salisbury on Feb. 14 after receiving information that Mays was there. They were there to serve Mays with warrants for failure to appear in court for charges of carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, driving with a revoked license, and a felony probation violation.
Deputies gave several commands for Mays to come out of the house after receiving confirmation that he was inside. After entering the residence, officers continued to give commands for Mays to come out with his hands up, but he was found in a back bedroom, according to the report.
Mays began to struggle as a deputy attempted to place him under arrest. Eventually, Mays grabbed one of five firearms later found in the bedroom and attempted to shoot the deputies with it. Shots were fired and killed Mays after a deputy yelled “gun!” repeatedly, according to the report.
Agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation to determine whether the conduct of the deputy was unlawful.
“…We have concluded that the evidence supports that the deputy acted lawfully and did not violate any criminal laws,” District Attorney Brandy L. Cook wrote in the press release.
Mays was estimated to have been shot three to five times and his cause of death was determined to be from multiple gunshot wounds.
The five deputies at the home at the time of the shooting were placed on administrative leave after the incident. It's unclear at this time if they returned to normal duties.