Johnston deputy fired 5 shots at suspect; fired from his job. 'You utterly failed,' sheriff says

A Johnston County sheriff's deputy was terminated from his job this week for choosing to fire shots over following department policy in his attempt to catch a car thief.

"You utterly failed to comply with the policies and training," Sheriff Steve Bizzell wrote to Christopher Adcock in connection with a chase and crash on Sept. 25.

Adcock was placed on administrative leave immediately after the incident, standard practice when a law enforcement officer fires a weapon in the line of duty. He was fired on Friday.

"Your use of force was clearly excessive and dangerously wanton. Your conduct cannot be condoned in any manner," Bizzell wrote.

According to the sheriff's office, Adcock was involved in the pursuit of a stolen vehicle when that vehicle hit his cruiser near the 400 block of Fellowship Church Road near Princeton. Adcock then fired five shots, but no one was hit.

In the letter dismissing Adcock from his position, Bizzell wrote, "When the pursuit ended and the suspects exited the vehicle, and without any additional threat to your safety, you discharged your agency issued firearm in an attempt to shoot an apparently unarmed fleeing person, who was not attempting to use physical or deadly force to effect escape."

The letter also states that Adcock, "Did not attempt to apprehend without the use of deadly force. Instead, you simply fired your weapon from a seated position in your vehicle in the direction of the fleeing suspect, even though another law enforcement officer was pursuing them, and you likely could have struck the suspect or your fellow officer with the projectile."

Bizzell said in the letter that Adcock has 10 days to bring him "name-clearing materials" in his case.

The sheriff's office did not release the identity of the driver of the stolen vehicle because that person is younger than 18.

District Attorney Susan Doyle asked the state Bureau of Investigation to consider whether Adcock should face criminal charges.

Adcock had been with the Johnston County Sheriff's Office since 2017. He previously worked for the Four Oaks Police Department, a spokesperson for Johnston County said.