AHEVILLE – The NC State Bureau of Investigation has confirmed it is investigating the officer-involved shooting May 7 near the downtown jail, but the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office will not say whether the deputy who shot a man, sent him to the hospital, is still on duty or if security upgrades to the jail and magistrate’s office are being considered.
Anjanette Grube, SBI spokesperson, confirmed to the Citizen Times May 10 that the agency is investigating the early morning May 7 shooting, after receiving a request to investigate that same day. Aaron Sarver, spokesperson for Sheriff Quentin Miller did not respond to a question asking whether the investigation request came from the sheriff. District Attorney Todd Williams said he did not make the request.
According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, a suspect walked into the lobby of the downtown jail at 20 Davidson Drive, at about 1:40 am May 7.
As a sheriff’s deputy and an Asheville Police Department officer the suspect approached to arrest him, “the suspect resisted arrest and an altercation ensued,” according to the news release.
“The suspect produced a firearm and shot the Deputy in the shoulder. The Deputy returned gunfire and struck the suspect, who afterward fled the scene and was later taken into custody outside Mission Hospital. The officer from APD was also assaulted during the altercation,” the release says.
more: Buncombe County Sheriff’s deputy shot, APD officer injured outside downtown Asheville jail
Sarver said the deputy was released from Mission Hospital the same day. But the sheriff’s spokesperson did not return multiple calls, emails and texts from the Citizen Times asking for the name of the deputy, if the deputy was on leave pending the SBI investigation, or the condition of the suspect, whom the Sheriff’s Office named in a May 8 news release as Ryan Ricky Houston, 40.
A search of the county detention center’s online detainee database showed Houston, 40, of Weaverville as having been arrested May 10. He is being held in the jail on a $1.5 million bond on multiple charges, including attempted first degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm and assault causing serious bodily injury. His next court date is May 31, according to the database.
Sarver only cited HIPAA laws as the reason he could not release Houston’s condition or say where on his body or how many times he had been shot. HIPAA, however, only applies to medical providers and health insurance companies, not to law enforcement agencies.
The Citizen Times has made public records requests for incident reports, 911 calls or other recordings involving the shooting.
Prior to May 7, the last time a sheriff’s deputy shot a person was on March 31, 2020. Shane Tilman Kent, 29, of Asheville opened fire on a probation officer outside the courthouse and was shot to death by deputies. Lt. Dale Den Ouden, received a non-life threatening injury to his arm.
more: NC investigation into police, Fletcher man’s in-custody death done; SBI report now with DA
more: ECBI Chief signs law making Cherokee Indian Police bodycam videos not open to public
more: Officer’s Asheville assault trial starts; defense: no Floyd murder, Taylor death reference
Similarly little is known about the APD officer involved in the incident. APD spokesperson Samantha Booth said in a May 10 email to the Citizen Times that the officer is not being named but would not answer other questions, including whether the officer also fired their gun.
“We are not releasing the name of our officer at this time. The APD Officer sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention,” Booth said by email. “The officer is currently on administrative leave with pay, approved by the agency, while the officer is recovering at home from the incident.”
The entrance to the Buncombe County Detention Center is not guarded and has no metal detector, although the door to the magistrate’s office is locked at all times. Sarver did not respond to multiple questions asking if Miller was considering upgrading security to the jail entrance, which was unlocked, through which visitors must pass to access the magistrate’s office.
“The Magistrate’s office operates 24/7/365 and the lobby of the building is open to the public. It does not have a metal detector or guard. Citizen-Times staff have toured the Detention Facility multiple times under Sheriff Miller, firearms are not allowed on the secured part of the building, even by law enforcement. Further questions about the public portion of the magistrate’s office and lobby of the Detention Facility can be answered by visiting the building, which again, is open to inspection,” Sarver said in a May 9 e-mail.
Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He’s written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at [email protected], 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe Sheriff won’t name deputy involved in Asheville jail shooting