SHERIFF: Alexander Co. man held on $6M bond after firing at officers

BETHLEHEM, N.C. — A man is being held on $6 million bond after officials said he fired multiple shots at officers Saturday in Alexander County.

Officials responded to a home in Bethlehem around midnight Saturday to serve an involuntary commitment order.

The commitment papers resulted from an incident where 67-year-old Ralph Walter Aldridge threatened to shoot at Frye Hospital.

Alexander-a man is locked up under a 6-million dollar bond after deputies say he fired at officers outside his home in Bethlehem. Ralph Aldridge is charged with 7-cts of attempted murder on a l.e. officer. Deputies went to the home after he threatened to shoot Frye hospital. pic.twitter.com/n3nFbt6FeM
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) October 8, 2018

An Alexander County Sheriff's Office statement said Aldridge also threatened to shoot officers before they arrived at the scene.

Aldridge gave officers permission to come up to the residence before shooting at them and hitting a patrol car, authorities said.

Alexander County’s Special Response Team was called to help officers detain the gunman.

Officers took cover but after several hours, they fired tear gas and entered the home. Officials said neighbors in the immediate area were evacuated for safety precautions.

Aldridge surrendered and was charged with offenses, including several counts of attempted murder on law enforcement officers. Firearms and other items were also seized.

No officers or Aldridge were injured during the altercation.

His first court appearance was Monday, Oct 8, 2018, in Taylorsville.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

Associated Press