Family wants answers after Cleveland County man killed by deputy

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — A deputy was involved in a deadly shooting Tuesday afternoon in Cleveland County, officials told Channel 9.

Investigators executed a search warrant to collect evidence from the house on East Stagecoach Trail in Fallston, where the shooting happened.

Officials will be conducting two investigations: One into the Deputy Scott Trammel's actions and another by the State Bureau of Investigations over whether what the officer did was criminal.

Authorities said the deputy was called out to the home to assist EMS on a call about a mental subject and that at some point the man became physical and assaulted the deputy to the head and arm. The 911 caller said her brother was threatening to harm himself.

Pedro Cruz Amado was sitting on the porch when Trammel arrived, officials said. Trammel walked toward the porch and Amado charged him and hit him with a metal chair.

Trammel backed away but Amado picked up the chair to hit Trammel in the head. Trammel then shot Amado, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office said.

“A preliminary review shows that Deputy Trammel did not violate any policies or procedures. It is sad that an individual had to lose a life. I would ask the public to keep Deputy Trammel and his family along with the family of Mr. Cruz-Amado in their thoughts and prayers," Sheriff Alan Norman said.

The family of Cruz-Amado want answers because they called 911 after the 24-year-old threatened suicide.

The family said he was suffering from depression.

Amado's stepfather told reporter Ken Lemon that his son was just trying to make the officer leave. The stepfather said that Amado grabbed another chair and the officer shot him.

The deputy called for back-up but the man died at the scene.

Amado's mother and his two younger sibling stood yards away when the shooting happened.

"We called for help and the next thing we know our son is dead," Daryl Carpenter said.

He believes his step son's death was avoidable.

“He was a good boy,” he said. “Had a really good heart.”

Carpenter was not at the family home when his stepson began talking about suicide.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said. “He didn't have to shoot my son. A Taser, pepper spray, anything."

Trammel has been with Cleveland County for five and a half years. According to officials, he was also a deputy in Rutherford County.

Trammel is on leave with pay.

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