Chatham deputies shot; suspect dead

The deputies – Capt. Roy Allen and Sgt. Chris Perry – were each shot in the leg, according to the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. They were listed in stable condition at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill late Thursday.

Maj. Gary Blankenship said the chase started near the Moore County line around 12:30 p.m. when an officer attempted to pull over a vehicle that matched the description of one involved in a shooting about an hour earlier.

In that case, authorities had received a report about someone shooting from one car to another.

Danny Dixon said the chase moved past his home along Alston Bridge Road.

“Nobody around here knew what was going on,” Dixon said.

The chase ended 20 to 25 miles away in a standoff around 1:30 p.m. along Alston Bridge Road, east of Siler City, when the suspect in the car refused to surrender, Blankenship said.

“He had a weapon in the vehicle. We gave him several commands to put the weapon down. He did not. At some point there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and the officers,” Blankenship said.

The officers were injured in the exchange. The suspect, David Scott Herring, 35 of Bear Creek, was shot and died at the scene.

Deputies took a second person into custody about an hour later but said he will not be charged. Authorities said the person got out of the vehicle during the chase.

Blankenship said that authorities are also investigating a third shooting stemming from reports of gunshots around 12:30 p.m. at a residence near the Moore County line at Siler City Glendon Road.

Investigators are still trying to determine if the three events are connected.

Meanwhile, agents with the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the shots fired by the deputies, which is a standard procedure.

Allen has 18 years of law enforcement experience and Perry has 14 years.

Herring had a criminal history including a charge of speeding to elude arrest in December 1990.