By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — A man shot and killed by authorities near Statesville Sunday morning was a National Guard member with a Salisbury-based unit and had recently returned from Iraq.
Three N.C. State Highway Patrol troopers shot William D. Miller after he opened fire on them and an Iredell County sheriff’s deputy, the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.
The troopers and deputy had gone to Williams’ home around 2:30 a.m. to question him about a reported hit and run, the state agency said in a news release.
Authorities reported Sunday that Miller exited the house carrying a weapon.
When the deputy attempted to use a stun gun on Miller, the report said, he began shooting at officers. All three troopers returned fire.
The N.C. National Guard said Monday that 45-year-old Miller returned home from his second deployment to Iraq in December.
Miller was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment in Salisbury, a news release stated. He enlisted in 1997.
The National Guard said Miller was a sergeant and served as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter repairman.
He served in a previous deployment in 2005.
Following Highway Patrol policy, the three troopers involved in the shooting, K.C. Church, S.P. Fortner and D.M. Pennell have been placed on administrative leave, pending an SBI investigation.