Man charged after firefighter was shot at, North Carolina sheriff’s office says

GOLDSTON, N.C. (WNCN) — A man with a pistol was seen emerging from a field before taking out a pistol and reportedly firing it at a Goldston firefighter on Jan. 5, according to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office announced Tuesday that Jackie Ray Caudle, a 52-year-old Goldston man, is now charged with a felony in connection to the incident which began with a reported brush fire.

The Goldston Fire Department was called to the area of J. Cook Road to put out a brush fire. As the crew was working to determine the source of the smoke, that’s when the sheriff’s office said Caudle came from a field, approaching a fence line.

He then “took aim at a firefighter inside a truck and discharged the firearm in the direction of the emergency responder,” the sheriff’s office said in a release. The firefighter was not injured.

Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson made a comment to condemn any violence against first responders.

“Our first responders play a vital role in safeguarding our community,” he said. “Their selfless service should never be met with threats of violence, which not only endanger their lives but also undermine the fabric of trust and security within our community.”

Caudle was charged back in January with assault by pointing a gun. Recently, after consulting with the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office, an additional charge has been filed for felony assault on a firefighter or medical personnel with a firearm.

He is scheduled to face a district court judge on June 10.

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