Two Johnston County Deputies Cleared Of Wrongdoing In Non-Fatal Shooting

CLAYTON – Two Johnston County sheriff’s deputies will not face any criminal charges after they shot and wounded a man earlier this year.

On Monday, Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle announced Deputies Derek Leagan and Zachary Petri were justified in the use of force in the non-fatal shooting of Andrew Wayne Collins of Clayton.

Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell had requested the NC State Bureau of Investigation investigate the shooting. NCSBI Special Agent Travis Roberts conducted the investigation.

On February 4, 2025, Johnston County deputies were dispatched to Brightleaf Drive near Clayton to a person threatening suicide. As deputies were headed to the scene, dispatchers provided further information that the individual was Anthony Wayne Collins, and he was threatening to shoot officers.

Family members of Collins advised that he was depressed, had been drinking excessively, and threatened to get in a shootout with officers and then take his own life. They also advised that Collins was armed with three weapons.

Leagan and Petri arrived at the residence and located Collins near a shed on the left side of the house and observed the handle of a handgun in his pocket.

Collins began yelling profanities to the deputies and threatening to shoot them.

Deputies Leagan and Petri gave Collins multiple commands to put his hands up and get on the ground. The deputies tried to explain to Collins that they would get him the help he needed, but he continued to shout profanities at them and threaten to kill them.

At that point, Collins began walking into the woods behind the house. The deputies followed, continuing to command him to stop reaching for his weapons and raise his hands.

Collins ignored the orders and began shouting, “I’m going to kill you” as he reached for his gun.

Leagan and Petri began firing their weapons at Collins striking him several times until he fell. After Collins fell to the ground, he tried to reach for his weapon in his pocket.

Deputy Petri recovered three weapons from Collins that were fully loaded and a cartridge in each chamber. Collins was transported to WakeMed for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

State law authorizes a law enforcement officer to use deadly force upon another person to defend himself or a third person from what the officer reasonably believes to be the imminent use of deadly physical force.

District Attorney Doyle said officers must often make split-second decisions regarding their use of force.

Under the circumstances observed by Deputies Leagan and Petri, their use of force resulting in the non-fatal shooting of Anthony Wayne Collins was both reasonable and warranted, Doyle said in a news release.

Collins presented an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury to Leagan, Petri, and the other law enforcement officers on the scene when he refused to raise his hands as instructed, made continuous movements toward his weapons, and repeatedly shouted threats to kill the deputies while reaching for his weapon, the release stated.

After a thorough review of the NCSBI investigative report and several discussions with the investigating officer, Special Agent Travis Roberts, I have concluded that Deputies Leagan and Petri were legally justified in their use of force. As a result, no criminal charges against Deputies Leagan and Petri will be filed related to this incident, District Attorney Doyle stated in the release.