DUPLIN COUNTY, NC — A North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper shot and killed a suspect Tuesday after a traffic stop escalated into a brief pursuit and a violent roadside struggle in Duplin County, according to investigators.
The confrontation began when the trooper tried to pull over a driver for speeding near NC 41 and Durwood Evans Road. Officials said the driver did not stop for emergency lights and a chase followed. After the driver got out of the vehicle and ran, the trooper pursued him on foot. Investigators say the struggle that followed ended with the trooper firing his service weapon.
Traffic stop on NC 41 turned into a short pursuit
Authorities said the stop started as a routine enforcement action tied to a speeding violation. The location was the area of NC 41 near Durwood Evans Road in Duplin County, where the trooper attempted to bring the vehicle over before the driver continued on.
When the driver did not stop, emergency equipment remained active and the encounter quickly turned into a pursuit. Officials described it as short, suggesting the sequence from attempted stop to foot chase happened quickly. The driver eventually abandoned the vehicle, and the trooper then ran after him.
That decision set up the next phase of the incident, which investigators described as a physical confrontation on the roadside. No additional suspects were involved, and authorities said no one else is being sought.
Investigators say the trooper was assaulted during the struggle
State investigators said the driver and trooper came into close contact after the foot pursuit, leading to what was described as a violent struggle. During that altercation, officials said the trooper was assaulted before the gun was fired.
Authorities have not released a full account of every movement in the confrontation, but they said the trooper’s weapon was discharged during the struggle and struck the suspect. The account places the shooting in the context of an active physical fight rather than a static roadside encounter.
The driver died at the scene after being hit. Officials have not publicly identified the suspect in the information provided, and they have not said what led the man to run from the vehicle after the stop began.
Trooper treated after the encounter and placed on administrative duty
After the shooting, the trooper began life-saving measures until first responders arrived, officials said. Emergency crews then took over the response at the scene.
The trooper was later transported to a local hospital for treatment. Duplin County Sheriff’s Office officials said that when a trooper-involved shooting happens, agency protocol calls for the trooper to be placed on administrative duty. That step is standard while investigators examine what happened.
No details were released about the extent of the trooper’s injuries or the nature of the treatment provided. The fact that the trooper was hospitalized underscores that the encounter involved injuries on both sides of the confrontation.
North Carolina SBI leading an independent investigation
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is handling an independent review of the shooting. That outside investigation is meant to reconstruct the events, determine the sequence of the stop and chase, and examine the use of deadly force.
Officials have not announced a timeline for the review or said when additional findings might be released. For now, investigators are treating the case as an active law-enforcement shooting incident tied to the original speeding stop.
Because the SBI is involved, any decisions about the outcome of the investigation will come after the facts are collected and assessed. The agencies have not said whether body camera footage or other evidence has been publicly released.
What authorities have said about the fatal encounter so far
At this stage, the confirmed facts are limited to the initial traffic stop, the brief pursuit, the foot chase, the roadside struggle and the fatal shooting. Officials say the driver did not stop for the trooper’s emergency equipment, ran from the vehicle, and was shot after allegedly assaulting the trooper during the fight.
The suspect died where the encounter ended, and no further suspects are being sought. The trooper survived the incident, was treated at a hospital and is now subject to administrative duty while the SBI investigates.
The sheriff’s office said its protocol is to remove a trooper from active duty after a shooting, but the broader findings still depend on the state investigation. For now, authorities are focusing on reconstructing how a speeding stop in Duplin County became a deadly encounter.
