Police shoot, kill sex offender accused of beating his father with bat | Crime

SALISBURY - Police in Salisbury shot and killed a man early Saturday morning after they responded to a domestic call in which the man was accused of beating his father with a baseball bat, then threatening officers.

The man, 46-year-old James Richard Brown, has a lengthy criminal record and was listed on the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry, convicted in December 1992 of indecent liberties with a minor.

Brown was in prison for seven years on that conviction.

His criminal record includes a 1982 conviction in Cabarrus County for assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Chief Rory Collins provided this account of this incident from early Saturday morning:

On November 13, 2010 at 12:44 am, Salisbury Police Officers were dispatched to the residence at 2410 Stokes Ferry Road in response to a Domestic Dispute call. 

Upon arrival, officers discovered that one of the residents, James Richard Brown, a 46-year-old white male, had assaulted his father with a baseball bat. 

The father’s injuries, while not life-threatening, were serious enough to necessitate treatment at Rowan Regional Medical Center. 

While on the scene, officers encountered Brown, who was still holding the baseball bat that had been used as a weapon moments earlier. 

Brown refused the officer’s commands to drop the bat and instead advanced upon the officers in a threatening manner. 

When this occurred, one of the officers, J. R. Cable, a two year veteran with the Salisbury Police Department, shot Mr. Brown, which stopped his advance toward the officers.  Emergency Medical Service as well as First Responders was summoned to the Stokes Ferry Road home, however, Mr. Brown died at the scene.

As is the norm in situations involving officer involved shootings, the State Bureau of Investigation was called to investigate this matter.  Also following normal protocol in these situations, Officer Cable has been placed on Administrative Duty pending the outcome of the SBI’s investigation. 

This assignment to Administrative Duty is not and should not be construed as a disciplinary matter.

No further information is available to release at this time.