IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Defendant dies after North Carolina courtroom shooting

A Roxboro police officer shot Christopher Thomas Vaughan, 35, after he tried to take a bailiff's weapon in the Person County Courthouse, officials said.
Get more newsLiveon

A defendant who was shot by an officer after attacking a bailiff in a North Carolina courtroom has died, officials said Friday.

A Roxboro police officer shot Christopher Thomas Vaughan, 35, just before noon Thursday after he tried to take the bailiff's weapon in the Person County Courthouse, according to a statement from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Vaughan was taken to Duke University Hospital, where he died.

The Roxboro officer's hand was broken, while the bailiff had a gash on his head and scratches on his neck, officials said. Both were treated at hospitals and have since been released.

Neither the officer nor the bailiff were identified Friday.

"The release of the officer’s name will be at the discretion of the District Attorney’s Office and will not be released at this time per the police department’s policy," the state bureau said in its statement.

The agency's investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Roxboro is about 55 miles northwest of Raleigh.