NC deputy killed by convict during trip to medical center; suspect caught after chase in stolen car, sheriff says

MURPHY, N.C. (AP/WNCN) — A federal inmate escaped from custody at a medical clinic in western North Carolina and fatally shot a detention officer with his own gun Monday, then fled in a stolen vehicle before being captured in another county, a sheriff said.

The inmate had been taken by Cherokee County Detention Officer Francisco Paul Flattes to an orthopedics office in Murphy for undisclosed treatment when a scuffle began.

While at Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, the inmate took the Flattes’ weapon and shot him, Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith said at a news conference.

The inmate ran into the parking lot, jumped into a vehicle that had just arrived and took off. The inmate was later apprehended in Macon County, nearly an hour to the east, Smith said.

Smith said the inmate, Kelvin Simmons, 48, will be charged with first-degree murder.

The detention officer, Flattes, 56, was a four-year employee of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Smith said Flattes’ wife also works for the county detention center.

“He is remembered by colleagues and the community as a committed, kind-hearted professional who embodied the values of courage and service,” according to Back the Blue, which has started a fundraiser for the family.

Flattes leaves behind his wife, who also serves with the Cherokee County Detention Center,
and his son-in-law, a current deputy with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

Another officer suffered injuries unrelated to the shooting and was recovering, the sheriff said.

“This has been probably one of the worst days of my career,” Smith said.

Emergency personnel in Clay County had alerted Macon County deputies that the inmate was driving to their county on U.S. Route 64, authorities said. Simmons’ vehicle was stopped and he was detained after a short standoff. There were no injuries at the scene.

Smith said Simmons was already being held on bank robbery charges along with an October 2024 escape.