Investigation underway after Sanford officer shoots man who robbed Dollar Tree at knifepoint

SANFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- An investigation is underway after a Sanford police officer shot a man who robbed a Dollar Tree at knifepoint Tuesday afternoon.

It happened just before 4:30 p.m. when Sanford police were called to the Dollar Tree in the 2000 block of Horner Blvd. in response to an armed robbery.

The store clerk reported a man armed with a knife came into the store and demanded money.

The robber then fled the store with an undisclosed amount of money, police said.

Officers found the man in a wooded area near the Dollar Tree armed with a knife.

While trying to arrest the man, an officer fired his service weapon and struck the man.

The man was taken to Central Carolina Hospital for treatment.

District Attorney Vernon Stewart and Chief R.V Yarborough have requested the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation's help in the investigation.

The officer involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing per standard procedure.