Caldwell County deputy shot in the line of duty returns to work

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A sheriff's deputy in Caldwell County who was shot in the line of duty was back in uniform Monday.

Deputy Jordan Sherrill was shot in July during a routine traffic stop, west of Lenoir on Cheraw Road.

Sherrill said the driver fired at him as he was approaching the driver-side door. He said he pulled the driver over because of an expired tag.

"I asked him how he was doing and as soon as I reached right here, the driver turned in his seat and held the gun out the window, and that's when he fired the round that struck me," Sherrill said.

Sherrill said he was able to get back to his patrol car after being hit just below his protective vest.

Before help could arrive, a neighbor, Gather King, heard the gunfire and rushed to help. King said he applied pressure to the wound.

"I just knew I had to get there because I knew he was in trouble," King said. "He didn't even have time to draw his weapon. He didn't have a chance."

Sherrill considers King a hero for risking his life to help him.

"He decided on his own to come down there and help me, knowing that it was a bad situation," Sherrill said. "So, I definitely consider him to be a hero."

It has taken Sherrill nearly two months to fully recover. During his recovery, he was invited to meet President Donald Trump when Trump visited Charlotte in August.

Last weekend, Sherrill returned full-time to his patrol unit. He said he couldn't have done it without the support from the community and his fellow officers.

"At the daycare, there were a bunch of kids who made stuff for me and donated money, and seeing all the people from the community coming together and giving me and my family so much," Sherrill said. "That makes you realize what you do the job for. It makes you realize there are still people out there that still do need us."

The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office believes that Kerry Townsend was the driver who shot Sherrill. Townsend was killed in a shootout with police two days after deputies say he shot Sherrill.

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