24-05-2025
Man arrested following 9-hour standoff in Bear Creek
SILER CITY — A tense, nine-hour standoff in the Bear Creek community ended shortly after midnight Thursday when Chatham County Sheriff's Office deputies took a man into custody following an officer-involved shooting.
Paul Lawrence Rader, 47, of the 1500 block of Lambert Chapel Road, Siler City, was charged with two counts of felony attempted first-degree murder; one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill; six counts of felony discharge of a weapon into occupied property; and one count of misdemeanor injury to real property
The incident began around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, when deputies responded to a residence on Lambert Chapel Road to serve an involuntary commitment order at the request of the man's family. While deputies were speaking with family members outside the home, the man began firing indiscriminately from a travel trailer on the property, a press release states.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the man began shooting directly at one of the deputies. That deputy returned fire. Over the next several hours, the man continued firing from inside the trailer, with hundreds of rounds discharged during the course of the incident.
The standoff ended shortly after midnight when a second Chatham County deputy was involved in a second exchange of gunfire with the suspect. The man was shot and taken into custody, then transported to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill for medical treatment. He was conscious and alert. No deputies or bystanders were injured.
The Chatham County Sheriff's Office was assisted during the incident by the Moore County Sheriff's Office, Randolph County Sheriff's Office, Guilford County Sheriff's Office, FirstHealth, Siler City Fire Department, Chatham County Emergency Communications (911 operators), Chatham County Emergency Management and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, according to the release.
'This was an extremely dangerous and unpredictable situation that could have ended very differently,' Sheriff Mike Roberson said. 'We're grateful this incredibly dangerous situation did not result in loss of life. Our deputies exercised courage and professionalism in the face of an unpredictable threat, and we're thankful for the support of our neighboring agencies that helped bring this to an end.'
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation, which is standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting.
