COFIELD, N.C. — A man was shot and killed by officers Sunday night in Hertford County.
According to Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes, the shooting happened in the 1400 block of Highway 45 South in Cofield.
Officers from the Hertford County Sheriff's Office, Ahoskie Police Department, Vidant Hospital Company Police, North Carolina State Probation and Parole, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Murfreesboro Police Department responded to a call regarding a "combative and irate" man armed with a handgun.
Hayes said during the encounter, Chief Deputy William Liverman shot 44-year-old Philip Wayne Outland of Perquimans County. Outland was pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to Hayes, Liverman, a 20-year veteran of the sheriff's office, is now on administrative leave with pay. Hayes said both the chief deputy and the suspect are white.
In a statement, the Hertford County Sheriff's Office said:
"Dear citizens of Hertford County a life was lost today, a family is mourning, and our Law Enforcement agencies are deeply saddened as a result of what has happened. Please join us as our thoughts and prayers go out to the men and women who were involved in this tragic incident."
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations is investigating the shooting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.