Dennis Hunt, 56

Lumberton, North Carolina
October 10, 2016

Agencies: State Bureau of Investigations SBI North Carolina | Attorney General’s Office North Carolina | North Carolina State Highway Patrol DPS | Robeson County Sheriff's Office - North Carolina

Cause of death: Shooting


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Last updated: almost 6 years ago

Overview

A man fatally shot by a highway patrolman in Lumberton Monday night was “hostile” and “displayed a handgun,” according to the state Highway Patrol.

The identity of the dead man has not been released Tuesday afternoon.

According to a statement from the Highway Patrol, the shooting occurred while two employees of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and a sergeant with the state Highway Patrol were conducting rescues in Lumberton.

“Preliminary information shows while traveling on a flooded portion of West Fifth Street, the officers encountered a male individual. The male became hostile towards the officers and displayed a handgun,” the statement said. “After observing the handgun, the sergeant shot the man, who succumbed to his injuries.”

Gov. Pat McCrory spoke about the incident in an early morning press conference on Monday. The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting, but McCrory said investigators are facing “difficult circumstances because there are still flood waters.”

Sgt. J.F. Hinson has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation as is standard procedure. According to the Highway Patrol, he is a 13-year veteran assigned to the Troop B District 7 Lumberton State Highway Patrol office located in Robeson County.

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