Deputy shoots, kills convicted felon in Rutherford County during struggle with gun, sheriff says
Ethan Tyler Calton shot outside home off of Highway 221
Ethan Tyler Calton shot outside home off of Highway 221
Ethan Tyler Calton shot outside home off of Highway 221
A Rutherford County deputy shot and killed a convicted felon Tuesday during a struggle over a gun, according to Rutherford County Sheriff Chris Francis.
Francis said deputies were trying to serve a felony warrant on Ethan Tyler Calton, 28, at 4:15 p.m. at a home on Edisto Drive, south of Rutherfordton.
Calton showed a gun and a struggle for the gun began, Francis said.
Francis said during this struggle Calton was making threatening statements to the deputies.
"A deputy shot one round, stopping the deadly aggressive behavior of the suspect," Francis said.
Calton died at the scene. Francis said the deputies were not injured.
"Emotionally, everyone is extremely disturbed," he said. "This is a horrible, tragic event that none of us were looking for. Just trying to understand why Ethan decided to take this to that next level is very hard."
Francis said the warrants on Calton were for two counts of felony identity theft, felony obtaining property by false pretense, felony first-degree burglary, felony robbery with a dangerous weapon and an order for arrest for failure to appear for felony possession of methamphetamine.
All three deputies have been placed on administrative leave, per protocol. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) is investigating.