COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC — The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office is calling out inaccurate online claims regarding the charges tied to the deputy‑shooting suspect.
Recent social media posts have claimed that two charges in the case were dropped. That claim is not accurate.
Sheriff Bill Rogers said the charges were never dismissed, withdrawn, or reduced. They were temporarily removed from the public record as part of a clerical correction and were immediately reissued. The charges remain active and part of the ongoing case.
Rogers said the clarification is necessary because the case involves a deputy who was shot while performing their duties, as well as the deputy’s family and the men and women of the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office who have been directly affected.
“When inaccurate information is reported or repeated, it can create a false impression about the status of the case and the charges the suspect continues to face,” Rogers said. “I will not allow misinformation to become the public record simply because it has been repeated.”
The Sheriff emphasized that accuracy matters, especially in a case with long‑term consequences for the injured deputy, who remains hospitalized and has undergone multiple surgeries and medical procedures.
“To be absolutely clear: Two charges were not dropped,” Rogers said. “They were removed as part of a clerical correction and reissued. They remain part of the case.”
The Sheriff’s Office encourages the community to rely on verified information rather than social media posts or incomplete reports.
“The facts surrounding this case matter,” Rogers said. “One of my deputies was shot. Their family continues to live through the consequences of that day, and our agency has lived through it with them.”
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