Deputy shoots and kills man who tried to reach for his gun in parking lot of UNC Healthcare Johnston County in Clayton

CLAYTON, N.C. (WTVD) — A Johnston County deputy shot and killed a man Monday morning at UNC Healthcare Johnston, according to the sheriff's office.

The hospital is in Clayton, off NC Highway 42.

Chopper 11 arrived on scene and found several police cars and tape blocking off the area near the hospital entrance.

Maj. Jeff Caldwell said a Johnston County sheriff's deputy was leaving the hospital in a marked patrol vehicle shortly before 6 a.m. when he was confronted by a man who tried to take his armed.

The two men struggled over the gun until the deputy was able to regain control and shoot the man.

The man died from his injuries. On Wednesday, the SBI identified him as 24-year-old Jose Luis Rincon Lopez.

The deputy involved, Jonathan Lee, 32, has been placed on paid administrative leave.

The SBI is leading the investigation, which is standard protocol for an officer-involved shooting.

UNC Healthcare Johnston later released a statement saying in part:

“There is no ongoing threat to the hospital campus. We are grateful that no hospital employees or patients were injured and appreciate the quick response of law enforcement. All areas However, our security team escorts all patients and visitors to their areas.

No hospital staff or patients were injured, the hospital confirmed.

The hospital was under a modified lockdown until almost noon, with minimal disruption to daily operations.

But it was still an event that worried the patients and made it a very interesting day.

“Yeah, it was a little scary. I live here in Johnston County, right here in Smithfield, and seeing all this here is not something I expected,” said patient Deborah Morris. “A lot of police tapes, a lot of police cars, a lot of security guards standing around, which I've never seen before.”

Another patient, Don Curtis, was worried about how things would go when he showed up for his appointment.

“Here, every day, when I turn on the radio and the news, there is a shooting,” he said. “It's crazy.”