Community mourns fallen officer after morning shooting

A tragic day as family, friends and fellow law enforcement officers mourn the loss of one of their own, killed in a morning shooting in Martin County.

A Martin County deputy is dead tonight and investigators are still trying to piece together exactly what happened on West Main Street in Williamston this morning.
   
Investigators say Jerry Pace Jr. shot and killed deputy Charlie Brown.
   
The Sheriff’s Office says Williamston Police then shot and killed Pace.

The shootout was over in seconds.

Law enforcement responded to a report of a man armed with a long gun walking down the street at 1710 West Main Street.

Thomas dunlow works at Barnehill’s Electric Service which is right across the street from the crime scene, “It made me mad to think that he was doing his job. I’m not sure what the situation was. Whoever it was didn’t have the right to shoot him.“

Angry words from a man who may not have known Charlie Brown, but heard about his reputation of helping the community from others.

He had just returned from a service call when he saw the commotion around 9:15 in the morning.

“You don’t expect something like this to happen so close to where you operate. The guy that I work with he heard the gunshots. And he thought it was something that fell off a tractor trailer so he went outside to see what fell off the truck. Happened to look down there and cops standing out there rifles down and everything. It was surprising,“ said Dunlow.

Investigators say when they arrived, they found Jerry Lee Pace Jr. outside a house armed with a long gun.

The officers said they issued several verbal commands to Pace, but Pace wouldn’t listen.

Then they say Pace fired the weapon and officers returned fire killing Pace.

The house next door was also shot up according to investigators.

Ruth Manning lives next to that house and says the whole situation makes her nervous, “I just think it’s awful to me it’s just like turmoil down here in the whole world. Cause i feel that God is the only one can make it right. I feel like it’s gotten so out of hand that man cannot do anything.”

Manning’s sentiment is a feeling many in the community share.

Across town at Clark’s downtown, the floral shop has been receiving calls to send arrangements to the Brown family.

Calls, Donna Shaw says she wishes she didn’t have to take, “Just a happy guy, always joking, always laughing, just a good person.“

Meanwhile the flag outside of the Martin County Government Complex is at half staff.

A memorial has been set up outside deputy Brown’s office

Proof that Brown will never be forgotten and always missed.

The fact is deputy Brown often worked with Eyewitness News 9 to get the word out about the drug problem in Martin County.
   
And he was well know to those on both sides of the law.

Charles Douglas Brown Jr.  was the face of the newly formed Martin County Drug Task Force.

He was in law enforcement for about 15 years.  He worked with the Williamston Police Department before moving to Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
   
And he was passionate about cleaning up the county.

On a number of occasion Eyewitness News 9 worked with Brown on drug busts.  He was always helpful and professional.  The people who knew him best called him enthusiastic and a dedicated officer who will be missed. 
   
Brown and wife Cindy have two daughters.

Deputy Brown is the seventh law enforcement officer killed in our state this year.
   
Nationally, 115 have died in the line of duty in 2009.

To leave your thoughts and messages for deputy brown’s family, just type in the Keywords: Brown Memorial right here on our website.

Nine On Your Side did some checking on the criminal history of the suspect Jerry Pace Jr.
   
The North Carolina Department of Corrections says Pace had a couple of larceny convictions back in the 90’s in Craven County.
   
He served his time. There were no violent crimes on his record.

—- Mid-Afternoon Update —-

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office tells Nine On Your Side that this morning’s incident began with a 911 call to 1710 West Main Street in Williamston in reference to a suspect armed with a long gun.

Officers arriving on the scene found 36 year old Jerry Lee Pace Jr. outside the residence armed with the aforementioned long gun.

Martin County Sherrif’s Office deputies and Williamston Police ordered Pace to drop the weapon.  He refused to comply with their commands.

Pace discharged the weapon.  Officers subsequently returned fire fatally wounding Pace.

Martin County Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigator Charles “Charlie” Douglas Brown Jr. was also fatally wounded in the incident.  He was a 15 year veteran of law enforcement, previously working with the Williamston PD.

He’s survived by his wife, Cindy, and two daughters.

Local law enforcement has requested that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigate today’s incident.

—- Early Afternoon Update —-

A morning shooting in Martin County leaves two dead, including a sheriff’s deputy.

It happened around 9:30 this morning on West Main Street in Williamston near Middle Street across from Builder’s Discount.

Nine On Your Side has had a crew on the scene since it happened this morning.

Multiple sources have indicated to Nine On Your Side that law enforcement responded to a report of shots fired at a house on west Main Street. We are told the suspect involved had a rifle, a scuffle followed and a deputy was shot. We are told, a Williamston police officer shot and then killed the suspect.

The deputy was transported to Martin General Hospital where he later died. We have been made aware of the victim’s identity but are not releasing it until we are sure next of kin has been made aware of his death.

The SBI is assisting with the investigation. Investigators are currently talking with folks who live on West Main Street to get some questions answered.

Deputies from Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office and State Highway Patrol, and Williamston Police are on scene. Williamston Fire Department has been on scene as well.

Williamston Primary School was put on lockdown during the incident, but everything has returned to normal.

We’ve been told by a Martin County Deputy that this is not the first time the force has lost one of their own in the line of duty, referring to back in1992 when Sheriff Jerry Beech was killed while responding to a bank robbery.

Nine on your side is currently waiting on Sheriff Dan Gibbs to hold a news conference at the scene. We will bring you more information as soon as we get it.

—- Noon Update —-

A sad day for law enforcement officers in the east after a deadly shooting claimed the life of a Martin County narcotics detective.
   
It happened around 9:30 this morning on Main Street in Williamston.

We’re still waiting to hear from Martin County Sheriff Dan Gibbs about what exactly happened this morning.
   
Multiple sources have indicated that law enforcement responded to a report of shots fired on West Main Street in Williamston.
   
We understand that the suspect had a rifle and somehow a scuffle ensued and the deputy was shot.
   
We’re told a Williamston Police Officer shot the suspect shortly after. The State Bureau of Investigation is on scene.

A nearby school, Williamston Primary School, was shut down for a short time but is running normal operations now.