Deputy shoots man who fired hundreds of rounds in tense standoff, NC sheriff says
This story was updated May 23, 2025.
A suspect faces attempted murder and other charges after being shot by a deputy in an hours-long standoff that took place in western Chatham County.
It started around 3:30 p.m. May 21 when deputies responded to a home on Lambert Chapel Road in the Bear Creek community to serve an involuntary commitment order at the request of a family.
While deputies were speaking with the family, a man started firing from a trailer on the property.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the man then started to shoot directly at deputies, according to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy then returned fire.
Over several more hours, the man kept shooting from inside the trailer, with hundreds of rounds being spent.
The standoff ended after nine hours when a second deputy shot back at the suspect, who was hit and taken to the hospital.
On May 22, the Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Paul Lawrence Rader, 47, of Lambert Chapel Road, Siler City.
He faces 19 charges, including two counts of felony attempted first-degree murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, six counts of felony discharge of a weapon into occupied property and one count of misdemeanor injury to real property, according to a news release.
Rader was taken to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill after the incident and is currently being held without bail in the Chatham County jail. He is due in court June 9.
No one else was injured in the standoff.
NC State Bureau of Investigation will review case
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation, which is standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting.
The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office received assistance from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office.
“This was an extremely dangerous and unpredictable situation that could have ended very differently,” Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson said. “I’m grateful that our deputies remained calm under pressure and followed their training to protect themselves and others.”
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Deputy shoots man who fired hundreds of rounds in tense standoff, NC sheriff says."