Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker on Friday identified the deputy who was shot to death overnight as Ned Byrd.
“We will find who’s responsible for this loss,” Baker said in a WTVD report. “Even in the midst of the hurt and the pain, we ask for prayers, we ask for patience as we go about finding out what happened and who’s responsible.”
Byrd, 48, had been with the department for 13 years and was serving as a K-9 officer.
He was shot several times after he responded to a call on Auburn Knightdale Road around 11 p.m. Thursday, Baker said in the report.
Byrd did not radio for help after he was shot, Baker said. He was found dead after the sheriff’s office sent other deputies to check on his welfare, and indications are that he was shot while he was outside his patrol car.
Baker said he feels Byrd was caught off guard.
The person responsible for Byrd’s death remains unidentified and at large. The investigation remains open and active, and law enforcement will be analyzing video of the scene. The governor has offered to provide whatever resources are needed to help find the shooter.
Byrd started his career with the sheriff’s office as a detention officer in 2009. Later, he completed Basic Law Enforcement Training School and got his deputy’s spot in 2018.
