Suspect Killed in Officer-Involved Shooting in Union County

MONROE, NC – Four Union County Deputies and a Monroe Police Officer are on paid administrative leave after a deadly officer-involved shooting.

“Hard time for our agency and our community,” explains Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey.

You can see the bullet holes where one of the deputies fired at the suspect from inside his car.

Cathey says it started when 25-year-old Joshua Stubbs refused to pull over near Five Points in Monroe on Tuesday just before midnight.

Deputies say he was driving a white car without tail lights and was also suspected of driving while impaired.

“We don’t know why he was out, what he was doing. Why he didn’t just pull over,” Cathey says.

After leading deputies on a short chase, the Sheriff says Stubbs pulled into a parking lot on Highway 74 and got out with a sawed off 12 gauge shotgun.

A deputy fired but Stubbs ran into a nearby cell phone store.

“A worker was putting down flooring. He ran in, the worker ran out,” Cathey says.

Cathey says Stubbs barricaded himself inside for about 20 minutes before moving into the doorway.

“Shotgun was cocked. And was brought to a level where the officers feared for their safety. And they fired,” Cathey says.

The Sheriff says Stubbs was hit several times and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The SBI has taken over the investigation.