Harnett deputy kills armed man family says was in mental health crisis, trying to hurt himself
A Harnett County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man early Thursday morning as he walked along N.C. Highway 27 in the Johnsonville community.
Family members said Curtis Young, 40, of Cameron, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. According to the sheriff's office, family members called to report a man armed with a rifle was walking along the highway, suffering from a mental health episode.
His daughter, Jasmine Young, said she heard a gunshot then tried to warn law enforcement officers that her father was not well.
“We started chasing him down the road so he wouldn’t do what he did,” Jasmine Young said. “We told [authorities] that he had a gun, and was mentally ill, so they didn’t shoot him immediately.
After Curtis Young aimed his rifle at deputies, one of them fired. He was pronounced dead at Womack Hospital.
Sheriff Wayne Coats was at the scene and told WRAL News, "You don't want these things to happen ... but something triggered this ... we need to keep this family in prayers, and the officers in prayers. It's just a bad situation."
According to Coats, the deputies performed CPR on the man while they waited for medical responders.
The two deputies who responded to the call were placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting. The deputies were not injured.
The SBI is investigating.
Family, friends remember Curtis Young
“He was an awesome person,” Jasmine Young said of her father. “[He was] very smart and spiritual. He was always there for you when you needed him.”
Danielle Harding, Curtis Young’s best friend, remembered what he was like, calling him “a father figure.”
“[I considered] him to be a vibrant, eclectic person that would love to talk, love to give good conversation,” Harding said of Curtis Young.
Jasmine Young said her father was an avid gardener.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without him,” she said. “He was the guy to go to if you had a problem.”
Danielle Harding shared similar sentiments.
“It’s a numb feeling,” Harding said. “Here, in a couple days, it’s going to be, “Oh, he really is gone.’”
Young’s family said he was not a veteran, but they said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
Jasmine Young explained what her interactions were like with her dad leading up to Thursday morning.
“I don’t know what snapped in him, everything was fun,” Jasmine Young said. “He was saying he loved me more than usual. [I was] getting a weird vibe from him.”
Harding said talked with Curtis Young around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“He wasn’t doing good for [the] most part and he was dealing with some stuff,” Harding said.
Harding explained the impact Curtis Young had on her.
"Curtis Young is the most motivational person in my life," Harding said.
Other Harnett County deputy-involved shootings
Since 2015, WRAL News has reported on several instances of Harnett County deputy-involved shootings:
- The shooting of Bernard Carnegie in November 2020
- The shooting of Trevor West in June 2018
- The shooting of David Livingston in November 2015
WRAL Investigates also found in June 2021 that the insurer for the Harnett County Sheriff's Office agreed to a $6 million settlement with six families who had charged the office with a pattern of excessive use of force.
