A North Carolina man accused of shooting three tree workers engaged in a shootout with cops before he was subsequently taken into custody.
Lucas Murphy, 36, has been charged with three counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, one count of assault with a deadly weapon intent to kill, and four counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer, according to prosecutors.
It's unclear if he entered a plea to the charges.
Murphy allegedly fired on a trio of tree workers clearing the way for a local power company in Green Mountain, North Carolina Wednesday, inflicting serious injuries on all three victims.
Responding officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect and shot him, resulting in Murphy's disarming and arrest.
"I want to start out by saying that my thoughts and prayers are with the Asplundh victims of today's shooting for a speedy recovery," Yancey County Sheriff Shane Hilliard said in a statement. "I am so proud of my incredible deputies and dispatchers! They did an awesome job responding and getting the situation under control quickly."
Murphy was previously convicted of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon against his brother in 2021, according to prosecutors. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail.
