Cooper orders flags lowered to honor slain trooper

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Gov. Roy Cooper has ordered US and North Carolina flags lowered at state facilities in honor of a NC Highway Patrol trooper killed early this morning.

Tpr. Kevin Conner, an 11-year veteran of the patrol, was shot and killed during a traffic stop just after midnight on US 701 in Columbus County.

Gov. Cooper ordered flags starting at sunrise Thursday through sunset Sunday.

“The tragic loss of Tpr. Kevin Conner of the NC State Highway Patrol weighs heavily on our hearts,” Cooper said in a statement. “We are forever grateful for his devoted service and selfless commitment to protecting the people of North Carolina. Our prayers are with his family and friends and his colleagues in law enforcement.”