Procession continues from in Elizabethtown and Bladenboro extending to Whiteville for North Carolina Highway Patrol, Trooper Kevin Conner photos by Kenneth Armstrong
RALEIGH – On Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at approximately 3:26 a.m., the State Highway Patrol stopped to check on a Chevrolet SUV that was parked stationary on the shoulder of I-40 near mile marker 340 in Sampson County.
During the course of the investigation, the driver of the Chevrolet pointed a gun at the trooper. As a result, the trooper fired three shots, striking only the SUV. The driver was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries as a result of broken glass. The trooper was not injured during the incident. The driver, who was the only occupant within the SUV, has been identified as Mr. Richard Scott Lane (35 Years Old) of Goldsboro, NC. Mr. Lane was transported to the Sampson County Law Enforcement Center and charged with Assault by Pointing a Gun, Assault on a Government Official, Unsealed Wine/Liquor in the Passenger Area and received a $10,000 bond.
The State Highway Patrol has placed the involved member, Trooper J. F. Smith, on administrative duty pending an internal investigation consistent with standard Highway Patrol protocol. Trooper Smith is a five-year veteran of the SHP assigned to Troop B, District 2, Sampson County. The State Bureau of Investigation was contacted regarding the incident but will not complete a separate investigation.
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