Transylvania County sheriff deputies say they returned fire and killed a 30-year-old man in a Pizza Hut parking lot overnight Saturday while authorities were conducting a welfare check.
State officials are investigating the shooting, as is custom with police shootings. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation on Monday identified the man in a news release as Raul Alberto Rivera.
Just after midnight on July 6, deputies responded to a call to attempt to locate a man for a welfare check, according to a news release from Sheriff Chuck Owenby. Deputies found the vehicle parked at the Pizza Hut at 62 Pisgah Highway.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies said a man opened fire on them as they entered the parking lot, striking one of the police vehicles. Deputies shot back, killing Rivera.
No deputies were injured.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the fatal shooting, according to Owenby. The two deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.
