Published September 22nd, 2025
On September 22, 2025, at approximately 5 am, a Brunswick County deputy was shot while responding to a call of a suspect who would not leave a gas station. The call was made from a Marathon Station located on Mercantile Drive in Leland, NC. When deputies arrived on the scene, they spoke with the suspect; sometime during contact with the suspect, an altercation between the deputies and the suspect occurred. The suspect then attempted to flee on foot. Deputies attempted to deploy a taser, but it is unclear if had worked. While running from deputies, the suspect turned around and fired a gun, striking 1 deputy in the ballistic vest and shoulder. The officer was transported to a local hospital, the injuries are being called non-life threating and has since been released.
The suspect has been identified as 34-year-old Brandon Wayne Taylor from Collinsville, VA. Deputies returned fire, striking the Taylor; Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will lead the investigation. The deputy who was shot was not identified.
