SBI investigating after Cumberland Co. deputy kills man he says charged him with machete

Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis W. Wright posted on Facebook that deputies were called to Summerfield Lane at around 4:44 p.m. "to attempt service on an involuntary commitment order" on Adrian Jason Roberts, 37.

Lt. Sean Swain, a sheriff's office spokesman, said that in involuntary commitment, deputies usually put a person in handcuffs or otherwise restrain them before taking them to a hospital or mental health facility. It's unclear who asked for that to happen in this case.

Deputies said Roberts charged at them with a machete, and one deputy then shot Roberts.

The deputies tried to treat the wound until EMS arrived, but paramedics pronounced Roberts dead.

The deputies names haven’t been released.

Family members who spoke with WRAL's Rosalia Fodera on Tuesday night said Roberts was an Army veteran who suffered from PTSD. They said he served for about five years and was deployed multiple times.

Roberts' nephew said the family had been trying to get help through the Veteran's Administration but had no success.

He explained, "I feel like the system failed him."

It's unclear if these were the deputies involved in the shooting.

A longtime friend of Roberts, Anna-Natasha Constant, said the voice in the background of the video is Roberts.

At the end of the video, a deputy was heard saying "all right let's roll" and the three appeared to leave.

Constant said Roberts was not a violent person and questioned why officers had to use deadly force.

She said Roberts was trying to protect his property and felt threatened by constant wellness checks.

The sheriff's office is not doing any interviews, referring all questions to the SBI which is handling the investigation.

But the sheriff said in a Facebook post that "loss of life is a tragedy under any circumstances."