A North Carolina deputy shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who was wanted in connection with the killing of his grandmother. According to authorities, the teenager charged toward the officer with a piece of lumber he had picked up during a chase.
The State Bureau of Investigation will review Thursday’s shooting involving the Lee County sheriff’s deputy, which is standard protocol in such cases.
The events began in Raeford, about 90 miles southwest of Raleigh, where the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office reported that 68-year-old Connie Linen was pronounced dead in her home. Authorities confirmed she was a victim of a homicide but have not released details about how she was killed.
Deputies initially responded to the home on a well-being check. Detectives later identified Linen’s grandson as a suspect and completed paperwork charging him with first-degree murder, the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office was informed about the homicide, and officers later found the boy behind an abandoned mobile home in the Cameron area. When deputies approached, the teenager ran away. During the pursuit, he grabbed a two-by-four piece of lumber from a yard and charged at an officer, who then shot the boy, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The office described the boy as approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds.
Neighbors expressed shock and sadness over the incident. Clifford Covill, who lives across the street from Linen, told CBS affiliate WNCN, “They were very proper. Connie seemed like she loved them and they loved her. Everything seemed normal.” Covill said he never heard any signs of trouble coming from the home.
“I don’t see him intentionally causing harm to Connie,” he added. “I want to believe it was something emotional that just went bad. I feel for both Connie and that boy.”
As of Friday, Lee County Sheriff Brian Estes and the State Bureau of Investigation had not responded to emails seeking more information about the shooting and the ongoing investigation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deputy-shoots-kills-boy-wanted-grandmothers-murder-north-carolina/