A veteran lawman with the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office is on administrative leave pending a North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation probe after he shot a man during a three-hour standoff in Scotland Neck Sunday afternoon.
The man shot — James Lee Melvin Jr., 62, of Hobgood —was listed in stable but critical condition.
Melvin was making threats while holding a handgun, Captain Scott Hall said.
The sheriff’s office was called in shortly before 2:45 p.m. to assist the Scotland Neck Police Department in the area of Grasunan Road near Highway 125.
The report came in as white male in the town limits making threats.
Hall said the specific nature of the threats he was making are under investigation. “During the nearly three-hour standoff Mr. Lee continuously failed to comply with commands while displaying a weapon.”
Around 5:45 p.m. a weapon was displayed and Lee was shot by Lieutenant John Bozard, who has been with the sheriff’s office since April 8, 2013.
Asked whether this could be a suicide by cop situation, Hall said, “We are waiting on the SBI to determine the facts of the incident.”
Asked whether Bozard was justified in firing the shot, Hall said, “We support our officers and we are waiting for the SBI.”
“My thoughts and prayers are not only with our law enforcement family and the family of Lieutenant Bozard but also with Mr. Lee and his family too,” Sheriff Tyree Davis said. “This is a very unfortunate incident and I hate that our deputies were put in this situation. We come in contact with many people throughout our day and you never know what people are going through and why.”
Davis said, “In law enforcement we know that at any time we may have to use deadly force to stop a threat but that’s not something we come to work ever wanting to do. At the end of the day our deputies reverted to their training, education and experience to keep other law enforcement officers and the community safe.”
Said the sheriff: “My thoughts and prayers are not only with our law enforcement family and the family of Lieutenant Bozard but also with Mr. Lee and his family too.”
