| November
13, 2003 |
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| SWAT
Raid Results in Shoot-out; No One Injured |
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A Valdese man
was jailed this afternoon after he reportedly shot at officers executing a
search warrant at his residence.
Around 9 a.m. this morning, Burke
County Narcotics Task Force Officers, along with the Burke County Sheriff's
Office SWAT Team and the Catawba Valley Drug Task Force, went to the trailer of
Kenneth Wayne Spann (left), located at 4185
Conservation Camp Road near Valdese in the Flat Gap area. |
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| According to reports, Spann, 34, fired twice at
SWAT team members as they made entry into the home. An officer reportedly
returned fire, and Spann, who was not hit, fell to the ground and
surrendered. |
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| No one was injured in the shooting. Spann's wife
and daughter were also in the residence but were not hurt. |
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| Detectives said they went to the residence this
morning after obtaining enough evidence to arrest Spann and search for
methamphetamine, commonly referred to on the street as "crank." |
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| As officers entered the residence, a concussion
grenade or "flashbang" was deployed. Flashbangs are intended to create a
diversion that minimizes the risk for officers, a detective said. |
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| In spite of the diversion and safety measures
taken prior to the search, officers said they felt lucky to leave the mobile
home uninjured. |
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| "Our SWAT team executed precisely in the manner
they were trained," said Burke County Sheriff John T. McDevitt, who was present
at the scene. "No matter how much training officers may have, you can't stop
another person from pulling a trigger if they are so inclined. Their training
definitely helped them from getting shot today." |
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| The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
was called to the crime scene, which is standard procedure when there is an
officer-related shooting. |
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| Investigators scouring the premises would not
comment if any drugs or paraphernalia were found during the search, although
one detective said there were some "items of interest" at the residence. A
handgun was also confiscated. |
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| McDevitt was incensed, but grateful that no one
was injured in the incident. |
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| "This man doesn't breathe the same air I do
because he sells methamphetamine," he said. "He's lucky his daughter still
has a father after what transpired today." |
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| Spann was charged with felonious assault with a
firearm on a government official, and two counts of possession with intent to
sell and deliver methamphetamine. His bond was set at $75,000 on the assault
charge, and $50,000 on the two drug charges. His first court appearance will be
on Friday. |
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| Task Force officers said more charges and
arrests are expected in this case. |
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| ************************************************************** |
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