A Highway Patrol trooper has been placed on leave, and a motorists arrested, following a shooting during the early morning hours Wednesday on Interstate 40 in Sampson County. The trooper reportedly stopped to check on a parked vehicle when the driver pointed a gun at him, prompting the trooper to fire shots, N.C. Highway Patrol officials said.
At approximately 3:26 a.m. Wednesday, Trooper J.F. Smith, assigned to Troop B, District 2 in Sampson, stopped to check on a Chevrolet SUV that was parked stationary on the shoulder of I-40, near mile marker 340.
During the course of the investigation, the driver of the Chevrolet pointed a gun at the trooper, according to reports from the State Highway Patrol. As a result, the trooper fired three shots, striking only the SUV. The driver was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries as a result of broken glass. The trooper was not injured during the incident. The driver, who was the only occupant within the SUV, was identified as Richard Scott Lane, 35, of Goldsboro. A mugshot showed Lane bleeding from cuts on his face.
Lane was transported to the Sampson County Law Enforcement Center and charged with assault by pointing a gun, assault on a government official and unsealed wine/liquor in the passenger area. He was placed in the Detention Center under $35,000 secured bond for the offenses, county jail records show.
The Highway Patrol has placed Smith on administrative duty “pending an internal investigation consistent with standard Highway Patrol protocol.” Smith is a five-year veteran of the State Highway Patrol.
The State Bureau of Investigation was notified about the incident, but will not complete a separate investigation, according to Patrol officials.
A search of the N.C. Department of Public Safety database shows a lengthy criminal history for Lane, who has been convicted of various crimes in Wayne, Johnston and Lenoir counties from 2007 to 2015. Those convictions include child abuse with intent to inflict serious injury, assault on an officer/state employee, driving while license revoked and multiple convictions for assault on a female and driving while impaired, court records show.
His probationary status is currently listed as inactive. His most recent conviction came in August 2015 for assault on a female in Wayne County, for which he received a suspended sentence and probation.