Family looking for answers after fatal standoff

BLADEN COUNTY — Earlier this week a standoff in Bladen County started with an agitated man with a gun. It ended with officers shooting and killing Tom Adams. Now his family is searching for answers.

Monday at Adams’s house in Bladen County law enforcement officers surrounding the house, Adams was on the porch with a gun. Days later his family members mourn his death.

Steve Ludlum is Adams’s brother-in-law. He says Adams had no history of mental health problems, and that he never saw him behave the way he did on Monday.

Ludlum said, “I kind of looked up to him as a father figure, because I was young when he came into the family. He took me hunting, fishing.”

Adams’s wife of 39 years, Mary Frances, says five days before he died, her husband suddenly decided to stop taking his eight-or-so medications. She said, “He was on blood pressure medication, he later became a diabetic, he was on diabetic medication and he had to take a diabetic shot.”

Mary Frances says Adams was a strong-willed man who was going to do what he wanted to. “I thought, well, you can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want,” she said.

Bladen County Sheriff Stephen Bunn says law enforcement officers returned fire only after Adams shot in their direction. Adams’s family claims he only fired into the air.

Chief Deputy Phillip Little says the deputies were justified in using their firearms. Adams’s family wishes other options were used.

Dale Adams is Adams’s son. He said, “It’s hard. I don’t really know what to say. There’s nothing you can say to bring daddy back.”

Medical experts say suddenly going off as many medications, as Adams did, is extremely risky. But they say there is really way of knowing exactly what effect that had on Adams.

Categories: Bladen

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