Dobson, NC - A Dobson City police officer was shot while responding to a domestic violence call this morning.
Surry County 911 received a call from a victim who stated that someone at her house had fired a gun. Officer Brian Thomas of Dobson PD and Sgt. Wayne Banks of the Surry County Sheriff's Office arrived at the house on Adams St. The victim was at the front door with a traumatic injury to her head when the officers arrived.
While the officers attended to her, her husband, Lonnie Badgett, 51, came to the front door with a handgun.
The officers told Badgett to stop, and he started firing the gun at them. Badgett went back into the house, came back out, and started firing a semi-automatic rifle at the officers. Officer Thomas returned fire and was shot in the ankle and left thigh. Thomas then fired back at Badgett, killing him.
After interviewing Badgett's wife, police learned that the incident stemmed from an argument the two had earlier in the evening. The two had just returned from a trip and were arguing about the care of the dogs that had been left in the house during the trip.
Police say they also learned that Badgett had expressed a fascination to his wife about James Holmes, the suspect in the Aurora, CO. theater shooting.
The victim said Badgett threw a piano bench onto her and then struck her with the butt of the assault rifle he used to shoot Thomas.
Police say there are no indications that drugs or alcohol were involved in this shooting.
The victim is at Northern Hospital in Mt. Airy.
Officer Thomas is still recovering at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.
Sgt. Banks wasn't injured.
WFMY News 2