MORGANTON, N.C. -- A sheriff's deputy was shot in the neck Tuesday night while trying to serve involuntary commitment papers to remove a 60-year-old woman from her home in Burke County.

Investigators said they wanted to take Joyce Nelson to a mental hospital for evaluation. Nelson refused to cooperate and threatened to shoot anyone who approached her door.

That began an 11-hour standoff that involved deputies and Special Weapons and Tactics teams in two counties. Shortly after the standoff began, Nelson shot Deputy Martin Lawing, 31, while he was trying to toss a phone through the window of the woman's home on Suburban Drive, authorities said.

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IMAGES: Deputy Shot During Burke County Standoff

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Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt drove Lawing to a local hospital, where he was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Officials said he lost a lot of blood and underwent surgery overnight, but he is listed in critical condition but stable condition.

Authorities said Nelson continued to fire shots at officers so they shut off power to the mobile home park and fired 50 canisters of tear gas into Nelson’s home.

“I don’t see how she made it inside there. There couldn’t have been much air to breathe in there, and that was the purpose – to try to push her outside,” McDevitt said.

Nelson came out with her hands up and surrendered around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“I have nothing to say. No comment,” she told reporters. When Eyewitness News reporter Dave Faherty asked if she was sorry about the officer, she replied, “I’m sorry for you.”

Nelson was taken to Broughton Hospital, a state mental health hospital in Morganton, to be evaluated. Her neighbors said it’s not the first time she’s been treated for mental illness.

“Her daughters had her put in Broughton or somewhere before, and obviously she wasn’t ready to get out,” said Shelly Hollar.

More than a dozen law enforcement officers headed to the hospital once the scene was cleared to be with Lawing. Many said they are still in disbelief.

“There’s no way to make sense of it – just no way, just totally senseless,” said Lt. Alan Cobb of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.

So far no charges have been filed in the incident.