Domestic violence suspect shot by county SWAT team
By Staff Reports
Published in News on September 4, 2011 1:50 AM
A Wayne County man was shot by a SWAT team sniper Friday after threatening a Fremont family and firing at sheriff's deputies.
On Friday, at approximately 8:40 p.m., Wayne County Sheriff's deputies responded to a domestic dispute call at 219 Miller Road, Fremont.
According to a news release from Maj. Tom Effler, the caller told dispatchers that James Gary Moskos was at the residence looking for his wife who was seeking refuge and had fired a shotgun through the front door of the home, which was occupied by three people.
After firing the shotgun, Moskos then entered the residence, looking for his wife who was hiding in a closet.
While in the house, Moskos, who was also carrying a handgun, threatened to kill the man living there if he did not tell him where his wife was. The shotgun was again discharged and the man of the house suffered a minor wound to his hand.
During that time, according to the release, Moskos' wife fled from the home and called 911. When Moskos followed her, the man and woman living at the residence were also able to flee.
According to the report, Moskos eventually returned to his house at 220 Mill Road, and, armed with multiple firearms, ran into the woods behind his home.
By this time deputies were on the scene and were setting up a perimeter in an effort to keep Moskos contained.
Moskos then began yelling obscenities at the deputies and threatening their safety, firing his firearms twice while in the woods.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team was then called and as the team was preparing a plan, Moskos came out of the woods, jumped into a vehicle and attempted to start it. As the SWAT team closed in him, Moskos then got into a second vehicle, started it and drove it toward the deputies manning the perimeter, stopping short of their location, and began threatening them and exposing them to a possible crossfire situation.
Moskos then drove off at a high rate of speed and circled his house, endangering the deputies on the property.
Moskos again turned toward the deputies, and as he began increasing speed, the order was given to disable the vehicle to protect the safety of
the deputies and the suspect.
A sniper with the SWAT Team then fired in an attempt to disable the motor, and in the process, the bullet traveled through the front grill of the truck, the motor compartment and into the passenger area of the vehicle, striking the suspect.
Moskos then surrendered, was arrested, and taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital where he underwent non-emergency surgery.
"He's going to be fine," said Sheriff Carey Winders, who was at the scene with his top lieutenants.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was contacted to conduct an investigation.
Felony charges are pending against James Gary Moskos.