North State Journal staff
From fatal shootings to armed robberies, the Hoke County sheriff’s office, with the aid of state agents, is navigating a challenging landscape of crime fighting and investigation.
A shooting on March 6 saw deputies responding to a call on Red Springs Road, where they found a male in the backseat of a car with a gunshot wound to the leg. Quick action by deputies and emergency medical services ensured the his survival, but the shooter remains unidentified.
And on Sunday evening around 9:30 p.m., deputies responded to a call on the 300 block of Turnpike Pines in Raeford where they discovered a victim, Ernest Locklear. Deputies and EMS attempted to provide medical attention and he was transport to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
When Locklear’s next of kin was notified, detectives began an investigation and, as a result, arrested Edward Jack Walker, 59, for first degree murder.
Finally, an arrest was made in a Jan. shooting at the 500 block of Bayside Road. Earlier this month, investigators with the Hoke Sheriff’s Office and the state Bureau of Investigation obtained warrants for first-degree murder charges against Ronnie Junior Slate, 23, for the Jan. 13 shooting of Eric Joseph Walters, 41.
Anyone with information about any of the cases is requested to contact the Sheriff’s office.