ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — The Rockingham County District Attorney’s Office determined that deputies used reasonable force after killing a suspect who reportedly shot at them.
On Oct. 7, 2025, deputies shot and killed Shavon Curtis Smith in a shootout near Dennis Drive and N.C. 87 in Reidsville in Rockingham County.
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The district attorney’s office took into account that deputies knew Smith was armed and had allegedly fired a shot in the home the night before and threatened to kill a woman and law enforcement. It also said that Smith reportedly fired the first shot and continued shooting at deputies.
Based on the evidence and information provided by North Carolina SBI, the district attorney’s office concluded that deputies’ actions were “lawful and reasonable, when viewed through the lens of a reasonable officer on scene and under the same circumstances. An evaluation of the situation, in its totality, clearly shows that the deputies’ belief that it was necessary to use deadly force in self-defense and defense of others was reasonable. Furthermore, the bravery and courage of each of the men and women that put themselves in harm’s way to protect [a woman] and our community is nothing short of heroic.”…