North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper David Blanton was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on I-40 near Canton, N.C. A struggle ensued during the stop, and Blanton was fatally shot. The suspect took Blanton's service weapon and fled the scene. He was apprehended a short time later by deputies from the Haywood County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Canton Police Department. The suspect was subsequently charged with capital murder. Blanton had served with the agency for two years and had previously served as a dispatcher for the Cherokee Tribal Police Department. He is survived by his wife and two-week-old son.
This information was provided by the Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring America's fallen law enforcement officers. For more information on this incident, other line-of-duty death reports and law enforcement memorials, visit www.odmp.org.
