Man killed in fight with deputy outside North Carolina hospital, officials say – The Virginian-Pilot

CLAYTON., N.C. (AP) — A man was shot and killed outside a hospital early Monday by a North Carolina state sheriff’s deputy during an altercation that began when the man tried to take the deputy’s gun, authorities said.

News outlets reported that the shooting occurred in a parking lot at UNC Health Johnston in Clayton.

The Johnston County deputy attempted to leave the area in his patrol car around 5:45 a.m. when a man approached him and attempted to take the deputy’s firearm, the Johnston Sheriff’s Office said in a new news release. The deputy was able to regain control of his weapon and shots were fired, resulting in the suspect’s death, the news release said.

The names of the deputy and the man were not immediately released. The State Bureau of Investigation was asked to investigate the incident, which is standard practice in such shootings involving police officers. The deputy has been placed on leave with pay, news outlets reported.

Several police vehicles were on site on Monday. A hospital spokesman said hospital security personnel escorted visitors and patients onto the premises on Monday morning before the hospital resumed normal operations.

Clayton is a bedroom community of Raleigh, about 15 miles southeast of the capital. The hospital opened in 2009 with an emergency room and outpatient care and now has 50 patient rooms for inpatient care.