Clay County Deputy Indicted Following 2024 Incident Involving Mentally Distressed Man

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — A Clay County deputy has been indicted on a felony charge more than a year after a 2024 incident involving a man taken into custody under North Carolina’s involuntary commitment laws, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced.

According to Sheriff Mark Buchanan, the case stems from an encounter that began on August 2, 2024, when Officer Shane Mull met with the mother of a 45-year-old man at the sheriff’s office. The mother reported being afraid of her son, who lived with her near Hayesville, and said he had been yelling, cursing, and damaging property the night before.

Officer Mull accompanied the woman to her home to serve an eviction summons and check on her son’s wellbeing. Upon arrival, Mull encountered the man, who was reportedly belligerent and verbally abusive toward his mother. Mull intervened to separate the two and, after the man expressed suicidal thoughts, took him into custody for his safety under North Carolina’s involuntary commitment statute.

Because Mull’s patrol car was not equipped with a safety cage, Officer Cameron Adams responded to transport the man. As officers escorted him to the vehicle, the man resisted after being told he would be taken to the hospital. A brief struggle followed, during which the man received a minor scratch on his shoulder.

The man was not charged with a crime and was taken to the Clay County Magistrate’s Office for evaluation. While waiting in the patrol vehicle, he became agitated and combative, officials said. During an altercation that occurred while Officer Mull was inside briefing the magistrate, the man’s tooth was knocked out in an encounter with Officer Adams.

After the magistrate signed the involuntary commitment order, the man was transported to Erlanger Hospital in Murphy for treatment without further incident.

Following the altercation, Chief Joe Wood and Lt. Tyler Faggard initiated an internal investigation, and Officer Adams resigned shortly thereafter. In accordance with protocol, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) was called to conduct an independent criminal investigation.

On October 13, 2025, the Clay County Grand Jury returned a True Bill of Indictment charging Adams with Felony Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury. Adams voluntarily turned himself in, was issued a $15,000 secured bond, and was later released.

Sheriff Buchanan said the delay in publicly releasing information was intentional to avoid interfering with the SBI investigation, prosecutorial decisions, and grand jury proceedings.

“I champion transparency and accountability when it comes to this Sheriff’s Office,” Buchanan said. “I expect a lot from my officers, and they have my full support in every way. They all know, however, they must always conduct themselves in a manner that can withstand the highest level of scrutiny.”

The case remains under review by the District Attorney’s Office.