Harnett County Sheriff's Office said deputies were called to a home in Spring Lake where a confrontation led to a fatal shooting.
Authorities said deputies went to a house near the intersection of Stage Road and W. Everett Drive to follow up on an assault investigation.
Friends and family identify the man who was killed as 32-year-old John Livingston.
Bristol Edge, a friend of Livington's, said she witnessed the shooting after deputies kicked in the front door.
"[They] threw him on his stomach," Edge said. "He was maced, he was tasered three to four times. And when he got out on the front porch he was shot four times."
One of the deputies received minor injuries.
HCSD said the officers involved were placed on administrative leave and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident, which is standard procedure.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the officers involved.