Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 23, 1997
Age: 57
Tour of Duty: 18 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 23, 1997
Weapon Used: Rifle; AK-47
Suspect Info: Sentence commuted to life
Corporal David Hathcock and Sergeant Lloyd Lowry, of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, were shot and killed during a traffic stop that Sergeant Lowry had initiated.
Sergeant Lowry had stopped a car on I-95, at Exit 52 in Fayetteville, and called for backup after discovering that it was stolen. Corporal Hathcock arrived and took the passenger out of the car as Sergeant Lowry took the driver out. As they attempted to handcuff the two suspects a fight broke out and the passenger was able to return to the vehicle and retrieve a fully automatic AK-47.
He opened fire on both officers striking them several times. The driver then took Sergeant Lowry's weapon and shot both officers several more times at close range before fleeing.
A passing motorist who witnessed the incident called police from a cell phone and followed the suspects, even after being fired upon, until other officers began a chase. Both suspects were arrested after a brief foot chase when their vehicle spun out of control as they attempted exit the highway. The two suspects were were brothers, 17 and 19, from Virginia who had just robbed a bank in South Carolina.
On April 29th, 1998, both brothers were convicted of two counts of capital murder, armed robbery, possession of a stolen car, shooting into an occupied vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. On May 13th, 1998, they were both sentenced to death. One subject had his sentence reduced to life in prison in 2005 when the United States Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to execute convicted murderers who committed their crimes as juveniles. On December 13th, 2012, the older brother's death sentence was commuted to life, however, the death sentence was reimposed in January 2017. On September 26, 2020, because it was said that racial bias was a significant factor in his death sentence, his death sentence was again commuted to life. As of June 9, 2023, both were in prison.
Corporal Hathcock had served with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office for 18 years. He is survived by his wife and children.