White Oak, North Carolina — A Bladen County deputy was wounded Friday morning during an attempted arrest in the White Oak community. Authorities said the deputy was struck in his protective vest during gunfire that erupted after a struggle with a suspect who was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Bladen County 911 Call Center received an anonymous report at about 7:40 a.m. that a person with multiple warrants was seen near the 600 block of Pine Acres Road. Deputies responded to the area to locate and arrest the suspect.
Authorities said that when deputies attempted to take the suspect into custody, a confrontation turned into a struggle, and shots were fired. The sheriff’s office reported that the deputy’s vest was hit by gunfire during the exchange. Deputies returned fire, and the suspect was wounded, officials said.
WWAY reported the suspect was 46-year-old William Antonio Bright.
Both the deputy and the suspect were transported to hospitals for treatment, and officials reported no life-threatening injuries.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate the shooting, which is standard practice for officer-involved shootings in the state. The sheriff’s office also said the involved deputies would be placed on administrative duty pending an internal review.
Field Lessons are offered strictly as general, industry-standard reminders drawn from common safety practices and typical policy considerations. They are not based on any inside knowledge of this specific incident, do not presume what actions were taken, and should not be interpreted as commentary on the decisions made at the scene.
-
Treat warrant contacts as high risk until proven otherwise. Build time and distance, and use cover and angles that limit sudden assault opportunities.
-
Prioritize hands and waistband awareness.
- Our research indicates that an attack occurs in conjunction with an amplifier 91% of the time. An amplifier is information known to the officer prior to contact that would call for additional tactical awareness. A wanted call certainly falls into this category.
- Sentinel Behavioral Cues (supported by research) to watch for include: Hands Concealed. Declaration. Arguing, Fleeing, Walking Away / Backing Up, Target Glancing / Fixation, and Invading Personal Space.
Dr. Travis Yates has pioneered a behavioral risk framework to help officers and leaders identify, assess, and articulate risk in rapidly evolving, uncertain situations. Find out more about the FOCUS Behavioral Risk Framework.
