BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — A 44-year-old man was found deceased inside a Hildebran residence on Thursday following a standoff with multiple law enforcement agencies.
Joel Scott Wimbish, Jr. was discovered by a drone after refusing to surrender to officers attempting to serve felony warrants for attempted murder and other violent crimes.
The incident began on Thursday, officials said, when U.S. Marshals attempted to locate Wimbish at a home on Tenth Street. Investigators received information that Wimbish was staying at the home and that he was armed. Despite several hours of negotiations, Wimbish did not surrender, prompting a large-scale tactical response.
Wimbish was wanted on several active felony warrants issued by the Statesville Police Department, officials said. The charges included attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T. Team and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office STAR Team responded to the scene, along with a drone unit and negotiation teams. Law enforcement used Catawba County’s armored vehicle to breach the front door of the home, which allowed a drone to enter the building.
Officials said they investigated the interior of the residence with the drone and located Wimbish, deceased.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) was contacted to investigate the death, officials said. Further details regarding the investigation have not yet been released.
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