Officials identify officers involved in fatal shooting in Maiden

MAIDEN, N.C. — Authorities in Catawba County are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Maiden that left a man dead Thursday night.

Police were called to a home around 8 p.m. on Old Park Road in reference to a man cutting himself.

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Two officers arrived and said they found the man, 35-year-old Alijah Jackson, covered in blood after cutting himself with a knife.

Jackson was barricaded in a small downstairs bathroom, and officers said he was still holding the knife when they arrived.

• IMAGES: Maiden officer-involved shooting

Police said they ordered Jackson to put down the knife but he ignored them and instead lunged at the officers, making stabbing and slashing motions.

The officers then fired shots at Jackson, who fell to the floor. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Officials identified the officers involved as Sgt. Jason Wagner and Officer Mike Painter.

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Channel 9 spoke with a friend of Jackson, who said he should not have been shot by the officers and wanted to know why another form of force was not used.

He said Jackson, who was visiting the home for the first time Thursday night, has a history of mental health issues and they called 911 because they were concerned for his safety.

"That's not what we called 911 for,” said Joshua Brooks. “We did not call 911 so there was a man killed in our house last night. We were hoping they could help us with someone with mental health and obvious mental disability."

As is standard procedure when law enforcement is involved in a shooting, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation and the two involved Maiden police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Wagner has been a Maiden police officer for 12 years and Painter has been an officer for 14 years.

Channel 9 covered a separate incident last May where Alijah and his brother Caleb had been involved in a domestic-related shooting with a neighbor.

• RELATED: Neighbor will not be charged in shooting of 2 brothers, sheriff says

No charges were filed and deputies told Channel 9 at the time that the two brothers threatened to kill their neighbor and the shooting was justified.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

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