Long standoff on Linker Road ends without injuries, veteran taken for evaluation

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A hours-long standoff on Linker Road ended without injuries Tuesday night after deputies with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office took a veteran into custody and transported him for medical evaluation.

Deputies were called around 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30 for a welfare check at a residence on Linker Road. Information gathered at the scene led deputies to believe a man was inside the basement experiencing a mental health crisis.

Deputies attempted to make contact from the basement stairwell and observed the man wearing what appeared to be a military uniform. When asked if he had weapons, the man said he did and claimed to be in the Army. Deputies said he made statements indicating he was armed with a rifle and would use it if they approached.

Deputies withdrew from the home and went with the reporting party to obtain an involuntary commitment order. After the order was issued, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team and crisis negotiators responded to the scene.

Due to the layout of the property, equipment such as a robot or drone could not be used. Negotiators later made contact with the man through a basement window and observed an AR-15 style rifle lying on a bed nearby.

Authorities said several attempts to persuade the man to surrender were unsuccessful. During the standoff, he pointed the rifle toward deputies multiple times while they remained behind a ballistic shield. Tear gas was ruled out because the man had a gas mask.

Negotiators eventually convinced him to place the rifle down, though he picked it back up once before complying again. Deputies then entered the basement through an unsecured sliding glass door, deployed pepper spray, and used a Taser, which had limited effect. After a brief struggle, deputies took him into custody without injury.

Investigators later confirmed the rifle was not loaded. A second firearm, a loaded Glock handgun, was found inside a closet.

Deputies determined the man is a U.S. Army veteran and believed he was experiencing symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress or another mental health condition. He was transported to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.

Sheriff Travis Allen said no one was injured and praised deputies for their response during the incident, noting their training and professionalism during a complex and high-risk situation.