1 person shot, killed by Harnett County deputies

HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Harnett County deputies shot and killed a man who reportedly pointed a gun at them Monday.

The shooting happened before 9 a.m. at a home near Lillington in the 200 block of Capitol Hill Road near South River Road.

One deputy was called to the home shortly after 8:15 a.m. by a family member and friend of a person reportedly having a mental health crisis. The deputy and the concerned family member spoke and decided to get an involuntary commitment order for the man.

After that, more deputies arrived to take the man into custody for the involuntary commitment.

Deputies said the man they were trying to take into custody pointed a gun at them, so they pulled their guns and opened fire, killing him.

"First, we want to say that our thoughts and prayers are with the decedent's family and friends," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "The loss of human life under circumstances such as this is tragic. I would also ask that you keep our deputies and their families in your thoughts and prayers. This is something we all train for and while we know it may happen, we hope it never does."

The identity of the man who was shot and killed has not yet been released. The State Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting, as is standard procedure when law enforcement officers use deadly force.

Investigators were seen going door-to-door trying to interview people who live nearby.

Those neighbors told ABC11 that the area is usually quiet. It's a rural area where hearing gunshots isn't completely unusual.

"(I was) just sitting there and then the phone rang at the same time, so I'm listening to my sister and I heard pow-pow-pow-pow. But it isn't that unusual. I did recognize it being a handgun," neighbor Julie Johnson said.

No neighbors who ABC11 spoke to said they saw deputies initially come to the scene,

The Harnett County Sheriff's Office has not released any further details about the case, including the number of shots fired by deputies. However, ABC11 has learned that four deputies were involved in what happened. None was injured.