Armed Suspect Surrenders Without Incident

The following press release has been issued by Clay County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Hayesville, NC - (October 3, 2019) - On Thursday afternoon, a Clay County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to a residence in the Snoozy Park area of Brasstown, NC to conduct a civil standby. Civil standbys are typically a routine performance of duty to keep the peace between parties involved in civil and or domestically related disputes. Many of these are performed annually without incident, this Civil Standby would be anything but typical.

A male subject, 54-year-old Tommy James Anderson of Brasstown, was reported to have armed himself with a rifle and allegedly refused the homeowner entry into her residence. The home owner reported that she heard a gunshot from within the residence and breaking glass. Anderson allegedly pointed the firearm at her before she called law enforcement.

Once deputies were on scene Anderson refused to leave the residence and surrender to law enforcement. A standoff then ensued that lasted approximately 3 hours. A perimeter was established around the residence to contain the suspect and prevent any compromise of the community’s safety or involvement of neighboring properties. The perimeter included a section of Old Hwy 64 West which the NC State Highway Patrol secured and detoured traffic in a safe route around the scene. A NC State Wildlife Officer working in the same area also responded to support Clay County Deputies. A negotiator from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene and was able to affectively talk with Anderson over a loud speaker. Macon County Sheriff’s Office also sent a member of their SWAT team to the scene to evaluate and prepare for their response if needed.

At approximately 4:50pm, Anderson came out of the residence unarmed and surrendered himself to law enforcement without incident. Anderson was initially charged with Misdemeanor Assault by Pointing a Gun and Felony possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon. Later that same night additional charges were entered for Anderson that included Felony Discharge of a Firearm to Incite Fear and Misdemeanor Resist, Delay and Obstruct. Anderson is being held without bond for 48 hours due to the incident being Domestic Violence related. By statute, Domestic Violence related charges require a 48-hour hold time before the Defendant can have a bond set by the Magistrate Judge. Anderson has previous convictions in Clay and Cherokee County NC for Felony drug charges dating back to 2000.

​The Clay County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone that OCTOBER is DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS month. Contact our local REACH Shelter for help - CRISIS HOT LINE (828)389-0797. 

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