Man shoots himself during arrest and bullet also hits SBI agent, NC officials say
An arrest turned chaotic in western North Carolina when a suspect shot himself and the bullet also struck a special agent in his protective vest, according to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.
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It happened Friday at a strip mall in Spruce Pine, as agents were attempting arrest 52-year-old Timothy Alan Hoilman, the SBI said in a May 15 news release.
“A team of special agents, in cooperation with Spruce Pine Police Department, was serving an arrest warrant on a subject charged with two counts of statutory sex offense with a child 15 years or younger and one count of statutory rape of a child 15 years or younger,” the SBI reports.
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“When approached by the special agents, the suspect drew a concealed weapon and sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The discharged round also struck an SBI Special Agent in his protective vest.”
The agent was not seriously hurt, officials said. His identity was not released.
“SBI agents immediately rendered medical aid and secured the scene,” officials said. “The suspect was transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment.”
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Details of Hoilman’s condition were not released.
Spruce Pine is about a 115-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.
This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 1:44 PM.
