2 men in custody after man shot outside Durham County Courthouse

The arrests were made at Miami Boulevard and Geer Street, about two miles from the courthouse, following a short pursuit that lasted for several minutes, Durham police spokesman Wil Glenn said.

Equaan Straiter, 29, and Jordan Armand Terrell, 25, both of Durham, have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and felony conspiracy, police said.

Police said the victim was shot outside the courthouse around 9:30 a.m. and went to the main entrance of the building for help before collapsing. The unidentified man was rushed for medical treatment to a local hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition, police said.

Police said the suspects knew the victim and the shooting was not a random attack. A police spokesman told WRAL News that a fight occurred before the shooting, but it was not clear what the dispute was about.

The victim was struck several times as the suspects opened fire, police said.

Authorities said deputies from multiple divisions of the Durham County Sheriff’s Office responded as shots were still being fired. Officers from Durham's courts, civil, patrol, and specialized units, including the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team, began sealing off the scene, canvassing the area and providing help to the victim.

Blake Norman, a Durham attorney, was inside the courthouse when the shooting began.

"We were aware because they locked down the building and wouldn't let people in for quite some time," he said. "It just kinda surprised me that they would (start shooting) right outside of the courthouse, because there’s so much law enforcement right nearby."

Witnesses told law enforcement officers that the shooting suspects fled the scene in a white van. Police saw the van near Club Boulevard and Dearborn Drive in north Durham and tried to pull it over, but the driver refused to stop, authorities said.

Officers chased the van for more than 10 minutes until it crashed near Hardee and East Geer streets, police said, when the two men were taken into custody. No one was injured during the chase.

According to court records, Straiter was convicted of assault in 2009, and spent six years in jail. Terrell's criminal background includes drug charges and assaulting a government officer, according to court records. 

Both men were expected to appear in court Thursday morning for a first-appearance hearing.

Authorities put up yellow crime scene tape at the main entrance of the courthouse, at 510 S. Dillard St., and sealed off the entrance while they investigated the incident. Police also closed Dillard Street from Mangum to Roxboro streets in front of the building, but officials said courthouse business was still underway.

Several crime scene markers were placed outside the building as officers investigated the incident.

The Durham County Sheriff's Office tweeted about the incident at 9:35 a.m. and warned people to stay away from the courthouse, which is the hub for law enforcement adjudication in the county.

Anyone with information about the incident can call CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200.