North Carolina sheriff: Suspect in hostage situation fatally shot by deputy

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — A central North Carolina sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man during a hostage situation Thursday after the suspect came at deputies with a sledgehammer inside a home, officials said.

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James Phillip White Jr., 48, of Kernersville, died at a local hospital after the shooting, which is now being examined by the State Bureau of Investigation, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s’ Office.

The situation began shortly after 8 a.m. when deputies were called to check on a man who was asleep in a car in a neighborhood, news outlets reported.

The man, who authorities identified as White, drove away and ended up at his house. The suspect physically assaulted a deputy and barricaded himself inside the home, Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. said.

“The suspect’s significant other was in the house at the time and was texting the neighbor that he would not let her out,” said Christina Howell, a sheriff’s office spokesperson.

Deputies evacuated nearby residents and entered the home with force after he failed to respond to multiple commands to come out, Howell said. White came with a sledgehammer at the deputies, who tried to use a stun gun without success.

A deputy fired one shot, killing the man, Kimbrough said. The deputy is on administrative leave. His name has not been released. The hostage wasn’t harmed.

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