The suspect in an Iredell County bank robbery who was fatally shot during a gunfire exchange has been identified by investigators.
The man was 51-year-old Vinson Ray Strickland of Kannapolis.
On Feb. 5. around 5 p.m., police were called about an alarm at the Capital Bank in Union Grove, located at 1439 W. Memorial Highway, an Iredell County Sheriff’s Office report showed.
The man entered the bank and wrote a note indicating he possessed a gun, according to the report. It has not been said whether the suspect stole money from the bank.
Police received help from the N.C. Highway Patrol and canines during their two-hour search for Strickland. He was ultimately found south of West Memorial Highway in a wooded area, during which time gunfire was exchanged between him and police.
Strickland died at the scene.
Deputies Leonard Hayes, Derrick Stutts, and Carl Adams were each placed on administrative leave after the shooting, which is policy. An investigation will be conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation.
