SALISBURY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A 46-year-old man accused of confronting first responders with a knife in Rowan County Thursday night was shot and killed by a deputy, according to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said Fire and EMS crews responded to a crash involving a car hitting a tree around 8:37 p.m. on June 23 near the 200 block of Rock Springs Road in Salisbury.
When first responders got to the scene around 8:50 p.m., they reported being confronted by a suspect armed with a knife, RCSO said. They immediately called deputies for help.
The sheriff’s office said multiple units were dispatched to the scene. A deputy arrived around 8:57 p.m. and was also confronted by the man reportedly still armed with the knife.
The deputy fired his gun, killing the suspect.
Officials identified the man as 46-year-old Steven Ray Johnson, a resident of Charlotte and Salisbury. Deputies said they have had no previous interaction with Johnson.
The sheriff’s office said that a preliminary review of the incident shows that the shooting “was justified and that the deputy was acting in accordance with use of force training and within the laws of the state of North Carolina.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident.
