SBI identifies suspect in officer-involved shooting in Leland

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — A Brunswick County deputy was injured in an early morning officer-involved shooting in Leland, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.

At around 5 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to a call at 1930 Mercantile Drive.

According to the NC State Bureau of Investigation, a clerk at the Marathon station on Mercantile Drive in Leland called for deputies, reporting that a man on the property would not leave. Deputies arrived, spoke with the suspect, and during the interaction a struggle broke out.

The SBI says the man ran from deputies. A Taser was deployed, but it is unclear if it made contact with the suspect. The SBI says the suspect then turned around and fired twice at a deputy, one hitting the ballistic vest and the other hitting the officer in the shoulder. The deputy returned fire.

The injured deputy was taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

Brunswick County Sherriff Brian Chism this is the reality of law enforcement.

“We are grateful our deputy is going to be okay, but this incident is a reminder that our officers put their lives on the line every day with nearly every call they respond to,” said Chism in a publicly released statement. 

The injured deputy has now been released from the hospital.

The suspect involved in the incident was pronounced dead at the scene.

He has been identified as Brandon Wayne Taylor, 34, from Collinsville, VA. His family has been notified. Taylor’s body has been to the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

The SBI is leading the investigation and have no other details being released at this time.