12/31/2025
Hours - Long Standoff Concludes Without Injury; Veteran Receives Help
ROWAN COUNTY, NC (December 31, 2025) – On December 30, 2025, at approximately 7:30 pm, deputies with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Linker Road in reference to a welfare check.
Information gathered at the scene led deputies to believe that a male subject was inside the basement of the residence possibly experiencing some type of mental health crisis. Deputies entered the residence and
attempted to make contact with the individual from the basement stairs.
Deputies could partially see the male subject and that he was wearing what appeared to be a military uniform. When the deputies announced their presence, and asked him if he had any weapons, the male subject stated yes to having weapons and stated that he was in the Army. Further comments by the individual led them to
believe that he was armed with a rifle and would use it on them if they proceeded down the stairs.
Deputies backed out of the residence and responded to the magistrate’s office with the reporting party to obtain an involuntary commitment order. Once the commitment order was received, deputies met with the Special Response Team (SRT) and responded back to the residence. Once they arrived back at the residence, they attempted to make contact with the individual to get him to come out of the basement, but they were unsuccessful.
Due to the specific layout of the yard and residence, certain equipment typically utilized by the Special Response Team, such as the robot and drone, could not be deployed. Members of the Special Response Team and Crisis Negotiators were able to make contact with the subject through a window outside the basement and could see an AR15 style rifle laying on the bed near the subject.
Numerous attempts by SRT members and negotiators were unsuccessful and even resulted in several incidences where the subject would point the rifle in the direction of the deputies, who were utilizing a ballistic shield for
cover. The use of tear gas was ruled out, due to the subject having a gas mask, which would render the gas to be ineffective.
At some point, negotiators were able to talk him into putting the rifle down, which he picked up again and pointed it at the deputies. He was ordered again to put the weapon down and eventually complied by putting the rifle down a second time.
Deputies were able to gain access through an unsecured sliding glass door, where they deployed pepper spray.
Once they entered the basement, a taser was deployed but appeared to have little effect on the subject. After a brief struggle with the subject, they were able to take him into custody without further incident.
Further investigation revealed that the rifle was not loaded. A search of the basement was conducted and one other firearm, a loaded G***k handgun, was located in a closet.
Deputies were able to determine that the individual is a veteran of the Unites States Army and may have been suffering from PTSD or some other mental illness. He was safely transported to Novant Health Rowan Medical
Center for evaluation and treatment.
Sheriff Travis Allen stated:
“We are grateful that no individuals were injured during this incident and that a veteran of the United States ndividuals were injured during this incident and that a veteran of the United States
Army was able to receive the assistance he needed and deserves. This incident underscores the difficult and complex decisions our deputies are occasionally required to make and reflects their professionalism, training dedication and unwavering commitment to public safety.”
