Man shot, killed by NC state trooper after pursuit that started during traffic stop near Durham
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A routine traffic stop turned deadly in North Carolina after the driver led North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) troopers on a chase.
The pursuit started Thursday morning, just before 9:45 a.m. I-85 southbound in Durham County near mile marker 1-85.
According to NCSHP, the trooper pulled the driver over for not having a license tag on his pickup truck. The man allegedly gave the trooper false information, however, they were able to identify him as 53-year-old Philip Aiken Brown of Creedmoor. It was also discovered that Brown had multiple active orders for his arrest.
Before officers could take him into custody, Brown drove off and led troopers on a chase down I-85 and took the Red Mill Road exit, where he lost control and crashed the truck into an embankment.
Troopers say Brown refused to comply with commands to display his hands and when he finally did, he was holding a black object. The trooper shot Brown, who later died at the hospital.
The Trooper who fired the shot has been identified as Nolan J. Neal. Trooper Neal was not injured during the incident. He has been a member of NCSHP for four and a half years. Neal is on administrative duty pending the outcome of an internal investigation. This is standard protocol for the agency when a trooper is involved in a shooting.
Download the ABC11 App for Breaking News and Weather Alerts
Stephanie Moore, a truck driver who was coming from Raleigh, says she and other drivers had to wait at a nearby Exxon before being allowed to resume their deliveries.
"They told us we couldn't make a left, so all the truckers are parked over here at the store."
The SBI is also involved in the investigation.
Traffic was closed in the area for hours after the shooting.
ABC11 News spoke with some truck drivers who are waiting for the road to open. Some say they have been waiting for at least one hour and the overpass is the only way they can get through to their destination.
