On Sunday, June 12th, 2022, at 2:23 pm the Caldwell County Communications Center received multiple calls of an overturned black Honda 4 door in the ditch on the southbound lane of Hickory Boulevard in the Sawmills Community.
The callers indicated that a subject with the vehicle was in possession of an assault rifle and a pistol. A caller further indicated that the subject was waving a rifle around and making a statement about needing a ride. Another caller reported that the subject had a gun and made the statements if the police come someone is going to die.
A Deputy with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office and a Trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the scene and on arrival contacted the subject. The Deputy and Trooper exchanged gunfire with the subject who fled to a wooded area after the exchange of gunfire. Additional officers arrived at the scene and located the subject at the wooded area and rendered aid to him.
The subject was transported by Emergency Medical Services to Frye Hospital in Hickory. Multiple firearms were located in the possession of the subject at the time he was located. This case has been turned over to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and body cam footage from the Deputy has been turned over to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Agents on scene later conducted a search of the overturned vehicle and a significant quantity of suspected illegal narcotics was collected.
The subject was identified as Jerome Lavon Connelly, age 35, of Morganton was later pronounced deceased at Frye Hospital. The Deputy involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending review by the District Attorney’s Office.