Officers kill armed man in standoff

He drove off as Catawba County deputies served mental health papers, sheriff says

32-year-old recalled by neighbor as an 'excellent dad' to 9-year-old-boy

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

HICKORY - A Catawba County man who was being served with mental health commitment papers was shot to death during a standoff with authorities Tuesday.

Marty Dale Rogers, 32, was killed shortly after noon in a field near his home north of Conover, about 70 miles northwest of Charlotte, authorities said.

Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman said Rogers, who was dressed in camouflage and hiding in the field's thick brush with an automatic rifle, was a threat to the officers surrounding him.

"We didn't have a choice," Huffman said. "If we had not shot, he could have taken out four or five officers." Huffman was not sure who shot Rogers or who fired first, he said.

The State Bureau of Investigation was investigating.

Rogers' family would not comment, but neighbors remembered him as a loving father to his 9-year-old son.

"He was an excellent dad," said neighbor and lifelong friend Donna Sipe. "They did everything together. They went hunting together, four-wheeling together, you name it."

On Tuesday morning, Huffman said, Catawba County sheriff's deputies went to his house to serve papers that would allow them to take Rogers to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Mental health officials told the Sheriff's Office that Rogers had made threats, and deputies received reports that he was armed, Huffman said. Huffman said he did not know details of Rogers' mental problems.

As deputies tried to serve the papers, Rogers jumped into a pickup and led them on a 15-minute chase around the area, Huffman said.

The chase ended less than a mile from Rogers' house, after he stopped the truck behind another home.

Rogers' neighbor and longtime family friend, Jerry Sigmon, said he was working on his car next door and tried to approach the truck. Rogers raised a gun, he said, but lowered it when he recognized Sigmon.

An officer yelled at Sigmon to go into his house, and Sigmon complied, he said.

Shortly after that, about 50 officers arrived, Sigmon said.

Rogers got out of his truck with a weapon, which Huffman said was an automatic rifle, ran several hundred yards and then hid in a brushy area.

Members of the STAR team - Catawba County's version of a SWAT team - surrounded Rogers and saw him raise the gun, Huffman said.

Officers told Rogers to put the gun down several times, and he twice complied.

He raised the gun a third time, unlocked the safety clip, and officers fired several shots, Huffman said. Rogers was struck and killed.

"When someone raises a weapon and takes the clip off, he's ready to shoot," Huffman said. "You have to make a snap decision very, very quickly."


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