Vinson Ray Strickland

Deadly force

Strickland tried to rob a bank before closing time. He got away with cash and fled into a wooded area nearby, police said. A witness said deputies, K-9 units, and troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol set up a 2-mile perimeter in the area and began looking for Strickland. Campbell said that law enforcement officers spent close to two hours looking for Strickland. He praised the helicopters from local television stations for helping deputies keep an eye on the suspect. Deputies eventually found Strickland in a ditch in the woods about a mile away from the bank. Police said he shot at them, and they shot and killed him.