The Yancey County Sheriff’s Office received a call for assistance from a Mitchell County deputy involved in a vehicle chase that was entering Yancey County around 4:25pm Tuesday afternoon. North Carolina Highway Patrol and Yancey County officers responded to the call for assistance in the Newdale area of Yancey County.
According to NCSHP, during the chase Trooper Kevin E. Glenn was shot while attempting to deploy a tire deflation device near the area of US Highway 19E and Newdale Church Road. The vehicle then turned and was headed east on US Highway 19E back toward Mitchell County, when he was involved in a one vehicle accident near the intersection to Boxwood Road and US Highway 19E. The suspect shot at officers multiple times, Yancey County Deputies returned fire. The suspect was pronounced dead at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. Trooper Glenn was air lifted to the hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries. Glenn is a nine-year veteran of the state highway patrol assigned to Mitchell County.
“This serves as a continued reminder of the dangers our Troopers face and the sacrifices they make for the communities they serve” said Colonel Freddy L. Johnson Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol. “Now is the time to pray for Trooper Glenn, his family and our Patrol family during this difficult time.”
Highway 19 was blocked in both directions for several hours during the incident. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the chase and shooting.
