Roanoke Rapids, NC -- A state trooper shot and killed a suspected drunk driver Friday night, according to the state Highway Patrol.
Trooper Matt Pittman stopped the driver on Highway 158 around 10:30 p.m.
When Pittman smelled alcohol, he asked the driver, James Russell Moore, 64, to get out of the car. He then noticed Moore had a gun in his pocket, officials say.
The trooper told Moore to lie on the ground, and Moore didn't listen.
Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his handgun and pointed it at Trooper Pittman.
Pittman then shot Moore, who died at Halifax Regional Medical Center.
Pittman has been placed on administrative duty while the State Bureau of Investigation looks into the shooting, a standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting.
WRAL