Pot Confiscated at House Where Felon, Deputy Shot

Raleigh, N.C. — Wake County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board officers confiscated marijuana plants and drug paraphernalia Saturday morning from a north Raleigh home, authorities said.

A man wanted in Texas died Friday after being shot at the house at 5401 Alpine Drive as deputies and alcohol enforcement officers served a search warrant.

Stephen Scott Thornton, who authorities said was using the name Scott Monaco, died a few hours after being shot.

Thornton, 45, was wanted in Texas on drug and firearms charges, authorities said. In 2005, he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felony possession of marijuana in Collin County, which is outside of Dallas.

He was considered armed and dangerous, and the U.S. Marshal's Service had a full extradition order in place to return him to the Dallas area upon arrest.

Sgt. Ronnie Byrd, a member of the Wake County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team, was shot in the leg during the incident. He was treated at WakeMed and released.

More than a dozen law enforcement officers were serving a search warrant at the home as part of a two-month investigation into an alleged indoor marijuana-growing operation, authorities said.

Chief Lew Nuckles with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board was at the house Saturday morning as the marijuana plants were put into the back of a law enforcement van. He said it was not clear yet, as to how much the plants were worth.