Man who shot at deputies killed

10-9-2013 North Carolina:

Sheriff: Leicester suspect fired at officers with hunting bow during foot chase; SBI investigates

LEICESTER — Buncombe County deputies shot and killed a man after he fired a hunting bow at them while they were trying to serve a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office has not released the name of the man as they try to determine what next of kin needs to be notified, but said he had a history of sexual battery out of state.

Officers attempted to serve the warrant around 3 p.m. Wednesday at a residence on Elkins Road. Sheriff Van Duncan said the man ran as deputies approached his residence.

During the foot chase, the man fired a hunting bow at the officers at close range. Deputies returned fire, killing the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The SBI will investigate the shooting, as is routine in such cases.

“From what we understand right now, the deputies acted appropriately,” Duncan said. “But that is the SBI’s job to come determine if it was an appropriate use of force.”

Duncan did not reveal the names of the deputies, who have been placed on administrative leave, also standard procedure. Duncan said they tried to serve warrants on the man at least one other time.

“He’s always been able to know, from our understanding, when deputies would come to try to serve the warrant,” Duncan said.

The man was a registered sex offender in the states of Washington and California, Duncan said. Neighbors were aware of his criminal history. They found a picture of him online and circulated it to other nearby residents.

“This has made us become a close-knit group,” said Brian Wallace, who lives on Elkins Road, below where the man who was shot lived.

Wallace said bail bondsmen have come to the neighborhood looking for him on several occasions. He described the man who was killed as “weird.” Neighbors say he would roam around in the middle of the night, knock on doors and ask for food.

“He told us to watch our children,” Wallace said of one bail bondsman.

Wallace was at work when officers tried to apprehend the man, but his wife and children were home.

“She was out in the yard playing with the kids and heard shots go off,” he said. “And then she heard rapid gunfire and then ambulances and cop cars started coming up the road.”

Residents of the road were not allowed to go to their homes as authorities investigated for several hours. ..Source.. by Romando Dixson

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Authorities release name of man killed by Buncombe deputies

10-11-2013:

Authorities have released the name of a man shot and killed by Buncombe County sheriff’s deputies Wednesday.

Max Cocheta Martin, 43, of 114 Elkins Road, Leicester, was shot after he fired a hunting bow at officers while they were trying to serve a warrant, authorities have said.

Buncombe County Sheriff’s deputies were trying to serve a warrant for Martin for failing to register as a sex offender.

“While approaching the residence where Martin lived, the deputies encountered him in the woods where he fired an arrow from a hunting bow at them,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. “The deputies discharged their weapons, striking Martin; he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The deputies involved in the incident were not injured.”

Authorities say Martin had “an extensive criminal history,” with open warrants for sex offenses in California and Washington.

The deputies are on paid leave while the State Bureau of Investigation investigates the incident. ..Source.. by CitizenTimes

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Deputies identify man fatally shot after shooting arrow at officers

11-6-2013 North Carolina:

ASHEVILLE, NC (FOX Carolina) - A man is dead after he shot an arrow from a hunting bow at deputies on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office.

Max Cocheta Martin, 43, of Leicester, was fatally shot by deputies, the sheriff's office announced on Friday.

Deputies said they were serving a warrant for Martin for failing to register as a sex offender when they encountered him in the woods near the house.

Martin then shot the hunting bow at deputies and they fired their weapons, killing the man.

Deputies said Martin had an extensive criminal history, with open warrants for sex offenses in California and Washington.

The deputies involved were not injured and they are now on paid administrative leave, according to Natalie Bailey of the sheriff's office.

The State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into the incident. ..Source.. by Joseph Pereira