What did Wesley Scott Taylor do? North Carolina state trooper fatally shoots stranded armed driver

On Monday, July 3, North Carolina State trooper Jeffrey Dunlap fatally shot down 57-year-old Leicester man Wesley Scott Taylor in a gunfight on the I-26 in Buncombe County. According to CBS, Dunlap was aiding a stranded Taylor on the highway when the suspect reportedly attempted to shoot him. Dunlap subsequently killed Taylor in the exchange of gunfire.

Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence, the reader's discretion is advised

In the aftermath of the shooting, Jeffrey Dunlap was transported to a local hospital, where he was placed under observation before subsequently being released. According to the Highway Patrol, the death of Wesley Scott Taylor is currently being investigated. As is the procedure during a trooper-involved shooting, Jeffrey Dunlap has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

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The timeline of Wesley Scott Taylor's death

According to CBS, the incident occurred at approximately 7:35 pm. Jeffrey Dunlap, a 13-year law enforcement veteran assigned to Buncombe County, said that he went to help Wesley Scott Taylor after the shooting suspect was stranded on the side of the road.

For unknown reasons, Wesley Scott Taylor drew a firearm and shot Dunlap, striking his ballistic vest.

North Carolina law enforcement officials summed up the shootout:

"The motorist produced a firearm and fired, striking (him) in the chest. A round was stopped by the member’s ballistic vest and he was able to return fire, striking the suspect. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

The statement continued:

“The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is conducting an independent investigation of the incident. Any further inquiries into this incident should be directed to the SBI due to their separate ongoing investigation.”

According to WYFF4, in the aftermath of the shooting, the westbound section of I-26 was closed for several hours, pending an investigation of the crime scene. The lane was reopened at 1 am on Tuesday.

As of July 5, authorities have not disclosed any potential motive behind why Wesley Scott Taylor supposedly shot Dunlap. Those who knew the 57-year-old Leicester man were shocked by the incident. One neighbor speculated that Taylor might have been involved in suspicious activity, leading him to fire Dunlap. However, the case is still in the early stages of investigation, and officials have not confirmed any details.

The neighbor, who remained anonymous, said:

“It’s crazy. It’s awful. It really is, because the law is out here to do what is safe for everybody. There’s a lot of people doing things they shouldn’t be doing,” said Taylor’s neighbor. “I guess that’s just their reaction when they get caught, to try and take care of it themselves.”

Dunlap reportedly didn't sustain any serious injuries in the shooting incident.