Sheriff: Suspect killed ignored commands to drop weapon, gun turned out to be fake

By WLOS Staff

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    GRAHAM COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — New details have been released in a recent, deputy-involved, fatal shooting in the mountains.

Graham County Sheriff Jerry Crisp confirms with News 13 the deputy involved in a recent fatal shooting was Deputy Courtney Heaton, and that the shooting victim, Mickey Ray Rice, 31, was from Dickson, Tennessee.

Officials say deputies attempted to stop Rice’s vehicle for a moving violation on June 20. A chase ensued with speeds topping 100 miles an hour, ending at the dead end of Anderson Creek Road.

Sheriff Crisp says at the end of the chase, Rice ignored multiple commands to drop what appeared to be a weapon. He says Rice swung around toward Deputy Heaton and that the deputy fired one shot. Rice died at the scene.

The sheriff tells News 13 the supposed weapon that Rice had on his person turned out to be a BB gun, one that Sheriff Crisp says looked like a handgun. He says it had a CO2 cartridge on it and that it did not look like a toy gun at the time of the shooting.

Officials say Rice had outstanding felony larceny and traffic violations from Tennessee.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) is continuing their investigation into the incident at this time.

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