By Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. — A sheriff’s deputy was shot while fighting with a driver who fled a traffic stop, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.
It happened just before 8 a.m. Wednesday in the Delco area of Columbus County, and the suspect remains “on the run,” investigators say. Delco is about a 145-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
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“The suspect fled. A pursuit ensued. The suspect lost control of their vehicle resulting in a motor vehicle crash,” the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sept. 16 news release.
“The suspect then fled the scene on foot. A Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Deputy encountered the suspect, an altercation occurred, resulting in the deputy sustaining a gunshot wound. The suspect then fled again on foot.”
The deputy is in stable condition at a hospital, officials said.
Seventy-five officers, troopers and deputies are currently searching for the suspect, officials said.
Residents of the area are being urged “to secure their property and vehicles” and report suspicious activities or individuals, the sheriff’s office said.
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