BOONE, N.C. — A welfare check in Boone on April 28, 2021, turned into a deadly day for the Watauga County Sheriff's Office, after two of their own died in the line of duty. Officials said two other victims and the suspect were also found dead.
(Warning: Story contains graphic details)
Nearly 15 months after the fatal incident, the District Attorney's office ruled the deadly force was justified.
The 5-page report, for which the State Bureau of Investigations collected more than 120 evidentiary items, outlines the history of the suspect, later identified as Isaac Barnes, and what led up to the tragic events.
READ: DA's full report here
Editor's Note: This story discusses domestic violence, which may include descriptions of violent acts. Reader discretion is advised.
What led up to the standoff
According to the Watauga County Sheriff's Office, on April 23, 2021, Isaac Barnes' stepmother, Reatha Barnes called the department, saying Isaac Barnes was threatening his father Joseph Barnes with a knife. The SBI states in the DA's report that an investigation into Isaac showed he often camped in a nearby wooded area in his Toyota Highlander. According to Reatha Barnes, that day, Isaac had asked Joseph for help because his vehicle had a dead battery.
Reports say Isaac held a knife against Joseph's neck after they got to the woods and said he was going to kill his stepfather George Ligon, 58, and his mother Michelle Ligon, 61. Isaac told Joseph Michelle Ligon had kicked him out of the house on April 15. The report claims Isaac made lots of "delusional statements such as Isaac being a 'God head' and people being blood sacrifices or peasants." Eventually, Isaac reportedly allowed Joseph to work on his car, but he was still brandishing a knife and a pistol.
After four hours in the woods, Joseph said he was able to leave after promising to go get a rifle a give it to Isaac. Joseph left the wooded area, contacted Reatha and did not give the rifle to Isaac. Joseph also called the Watauga County Sheriff's Office to inform them about his encounter with Isaac.
Deputies contacted Michelle Ligon to ensure she was safe, which she was. Michelle told deputies Isaac was recently upset after receiving a jury duty summons because he had an "aversion to law enforcement." The deputy discussed her options, including an involuntary commitment order (IVC) or even criminal charges.
Watauga County deputies tried to track Isaac's phone through Carolina West, but they found out it had been inactive since April 8. They determined it wasn't safe to conduct a welfare check on Isaac in a wooded area, so they issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) for Isaac instead.
Isaac was spotted by a Beech Mountain police officer on April 27, 2021, getting into a vehicle off Daisy Ridge Road, but the officer was not able to approach him. Both Joseph and Reatha Barnes went to the magistrate's office that same day to seek either an IVC or criminal charges, but due to a technical issue with the magistrate's computer system, the Barneses were told to come back April 28.
The day of the standoff
At 9:41 a.m., the Watauga County Sheriff's Office got a request for a welfare check on George Ligon because he had not come to work that day. A coworker had gone to his home, but they couldn't determine if anyone was inside.
K-9 Deputy Logan Fox was one of the first people to arrive at the Boone residence at 10:03 a.m. along with another lieutenant with the Watauga County Sheriff's Office. The lieutenant called for backup after neither could determine if anyone was home.
Deputy Fox and Sergeant Chris Ward entered the home at 10:39 a.m. once backup arrived. Immediately, law enforcement noticed bloody drag marks on the floor. They found the bodies of George and Michelle Ligon upstairs. Their throats had both been cut. They noticed furniture had been moved to seemingly prevent officers from entering rooms.
PHOTOS: Memorial grows for fallen Watauga County deputies after deadly standoff
Law enforcement cleared upstairs and moved toward the basement. The basement entry was also barricaded, but when Deputy Fox tried to force entry at 10:42 a.m., he was shot by Barnes. Sgt. Ward and other deputies retreated to the top of the stairs. Fox's bodycam video showed his body was moved and his equipment was removed.
At 10:57 a.m., a shot was heard within the home and Sgt. Ward was seen falling down. Shortly after, an exchange of gunfire happened.
At 12:08 p.m., a rescue team from many agencies, including Boone Police Department, Appalachian State University Police Department, the North Carolina SBI and two firefighters, entered the home. They saw Isaac's head appear in the basement stairwell and fired at him. A bullet deflected off a Boone officer's ballistic helmet. The rescue team was able to get Sgt. Ward out of the home, but they weren't able to access Deputy Fox. Sgt. Ward died after being flown to Johnson City Medical Center for treatment for his gunshot wound.
The standoff continued until around 9:30 p.m. when robots found two dead bodies in the basement -- one was Deputy Fox and one was Isaac Barnes. Isaac had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.
Once the SBI entered the scene shortly before 10 p.m., they found Isaac had a gunshot wound to his chest, too.
The DA report
The SBI collected evidence and submitted it to the District Attorney's office so the DA could determine if the use of deadly force was justified.
"Given the overwhelming weight of the evidence available to this office, it is clear that the actions of law enforcement personnel at 553 Hardaman Circle often rose to the highest levels of heroism as they sought to fulfill their oaths to protect and to serve our community and their comrades against the violent acts fo Isaac Barnes," the report reads. "Further, the evidence indicates that the officers' belief that it was necessary to use deadly force in self-defense was reasonable given the totality of the circumstances."
If you or a loved one is facing domestic violence, help is readily available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Resources for help are available in both North Carolina and South Carolina.