Sheriff: Deputies 'exposed to imminent danger' in Statesville shooting

STATESVILLE, NC (WBTV) - A day after Iredell County deputies shot and killed a man who was coming towards them with a knife, Sheriff Darren Campbell says he believes his deputies were well within the department's policies and procedures.

"He did come out of the house with the weapon," Campbell said Wednesday. "They had seen it, there were commands given, there was a conversation, or an altercation between the deputies as far as verbal altercation, them giving commands and him obviously not following commands and he advanced out of the house where the deputies were in sort of a covered carport area. On our side right now it appears they operated well within our policies and procedures."

Neighbors claim man shot, killed by deputies had a mental illness

The incident began just before 10 a.m. Tuesday when deputies John Fletcher and Reggie Allen went to 518 Virginia Avenue in Statesville to serve a civil Writ of Possession for the house in which 55-year-old Samuel Edward Grady was living.

"It's sort of like a lockout and it's where we turn ownership from one to the other," the sheriff added. "The guy that owns the house gets the house back."

According to the report, Grady, who was carrying a large knife, came at the deputies and refused to obey their commands.  At that point the deputies fired, fatally wounding Grady.

The incident is now being investigated by the Iredell Sheriff's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.

A "possible explosive device" was found when the house was searched hours after the shooting, Campbell said.  The SBI Bomb Disposal Unit responded to the house and "rendered the device safe."

Deputies Fletcher, Allen, and Deputy Roger Vargas are all on paid administrative leave while the investigation is underway.

"They're all veteran members of the department, they are on administrative leave which is standard while we conduct our investigation and while the SBI does parts of theirs," Sheriff Campbell said.

"It's tragic for all the families involved, not just ours but for theirs. There are several families that this will affect and you never want it to happen, so our thoughts and prayers are with all involved at this point."

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