1 person dead after shooting involving 2 sheriff's deputies
Editor's note: This story has been updated Wednesday afternoon to include information about the officers involved in the shooting. The type of weapon the suspect used has also been corrected to match the police report.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is investigating a shooting incident which occurred early Sunday morning at the Pisgah Forest Pizza Hut and involved two Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office deputies who shot and killed one suspect.
Raul Alberto Rivera, 30, of Candler, was killed by deputies after he allegedly opened fire with a rifle on their vehicles as they entered the Pizza Hut's parking lot.
Sgt. Brandon Scott Holden and Deputy Samuel Edward Owen Jr. with the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office fired back at Rivera, killing him on scene, according to Sheriff Chuck Owenby and NCSBI Public Information Director Chad Flowers.
According to information provided by Owenby, the two officers arrived to the scene after receiving a call for a welfare check on the suicidal suspect at 12:30 a.m.
Owenby said neither of the officers involved in the shooting were injured.
The two sheriff’s deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave, which Owenby said is standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting.
Owen Jr. has served in law enforcement for nine years and Holden has served for 15 years.
“As deputies turned into the parking lot, the individual began shooting at them, striking one of the deputies’ vehicles,” said the release. “Deputies returned fire, mortally wounding the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Flowers said Owenby contacted the NCSBI immediately following the incident so it could conduct an independent investigation into the incident. The NCSBI also received a call from District Attorney Andrew Murray’s office asking it to investigate the incident as well.
NCSBI agents arrived after the incident occurred and began conducting their investigation on site. Flowers said other sheriff’s deputies and North Carolina State Highway Patrol Troopers also responded to the restaurant but none of them fired their weapons.
According to Flowers, body-worn cameras and surveillance cameras mounted on the business recorded the incident and will be used during the investigation.
