Man shot 3 tree service workers, then engaged in gunfight with cops, NC sheriff says

A man confronting tree service workers in the western North Carolina mountains pulled a gun and shot three of them, according to investigators.

The suspect, 36-year-old Lucas Murphy, was wounded minutes later, while engaging in a gunfight with responding deputies, the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“All three (tree service) victims sustained serious injuries and were transported to area hospitals where they are receiving medical treatment,” the sheriff’s office said.

Murphy is also hospitalized and details of his injuries have not been released.

The shootings occurred Wednesday, July 24, in the Murphytown Road area near Green Mountain, the sheriff’s office said. Green Mountain is about a 135-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.

A motive has not been revealed.

“Lucas Murphy, a resident of the community, confronted contract workers clearing the right of way for the power company,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Murphy was armed during the confrontation with the tree service workers, and subsequently, three workers were shot. ... Deputies responding to the scene encountered gunfire as they attempted to apprehend the suspect. ... During this exchange, an officer-involved shooting took place.”

Murphy was quickly arrested and taken to a hospital.

He has been charged with:

• Three counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury
• One count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
• Four counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer

Identities of the tree service workers have not been released.

Yancey County Sheriff Shane Hilliard said they work for Asplundh, a company that specializes in right-of-way maintenance, including tree pruning and removal.

Murphy was arrested in 2021 for an attack on a family member, and found guilty of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, according to the District Attorney’s Office, 35th Prosecutorial District of NC. He was sentenced to 150 days in custody, officials said.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting of Murphy, which is standard in officer-involved shootings.

This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 6:02 AM with the headline "Man shot 3 tree service workers, then engaged in gunfight with cops, NC sheriff says."