Man accused of shooting at patrol vehicles and fighting Rowan Co. deputies during arrest

CHINA GROVE, NC (WBTV) – A man faces a slew of charges after shooting at patrol vehicles and fighting deputies during an arrest in China Grove on Saturday, according to the sheriff's office.

Zackery Ryhan Johnson, 44, was booked into the Rowan County Detention Center without bail and responsible for the following:

• Two counts of attempted first degree murder
• Four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
• Six counts of discharging a weapon onto occupied property
• Two counts of assault against a government official
• One count of resisting a public official

The situation occurred around 8:45 p.m. along NC Highway 152 near Daugherty Road.

Deputies who were in the area say their patrol vehicles were hit by gunfire.

After that, they began searching for suspects on foot and found Johnson in a yard along the highway, called him, but he went into a house. That's when deputies said they knocked on the door, and after a few minutes, Johnson came out.

While questioning Johnson about the shooting incident, they noticed “a small caliber rifle with a scope lying on the ground in front of the residence, along with a box of .22 caliber ammunition.” As the conversation continued, deputies said he began to walk away.

Authorities attempted to arrest Johnson, but say he resisted them and assaulted them by twisting the hand and finger of one deputy while kicking the other.

After the fight, deputies say they were able to take him into custody; however, they noticed that Johnson was beginning to suffer from a medical problem because he was mixing pills and alcohol, so they rushed him to Rowan Novant Medical Center for treatment.

In total, deputies say three civilian vehicles and three patrol vehicles were damaged by the gunfire. No injuries were reported.

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