A North Carolina man described by federal prosecutors as a “demon” and a “scourge” on the community has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison. The sentence comes after a chaotic 2023 ambush where Shawn Tobin Locklear, Jr. shot two Robeson County sheriff’s deputies, ran them over with their own patrol car, and then hijacked the ambulance dispatched to save them.
U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan handed down the sentence after Locklear, now 21, pleaded guilty to using a firearm during a crime of violence and possessing a machine gun in furtherance of drug trafficking.
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A Violent Ambush and Bizarre Escape
The incident unfolded on November 7, 2023, when deputies located Locklear, who was a fugitive at the time. According to court documents and bodycam footage, Locklear fled his home and hid in the nearby woods. When deputies tracked him down and ordered him to surrender, he initially appeared to comply, showing one hand from behind a tree.
Suddenly, Locklear emerged with a gun drawn and opened fire. Both deputies were struck multiple times, sustaining gunshot wounds to the legs and abdomen.
As the wounded officers crawled for cover behind their vehicle, Locklear sprinted to their patrol car. He threw the vehicle into reverse, running over one of the deputies and narrowly missing the other before fleeing the scene.
In a twist that prosecutors highlighted during sentencing, Locklear didn’t just flee; he intercepted the ambulance that was racing to the scene to treat the deputies he had just shot. He commandeered the emergency vehicle and drove himself to the hospital.
The injured deputies were eventually loaded into the bed of a pickup truck by fellow officers and rushed to the same hospital, where Locklear was subsequently arrested.
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A History of Release
The case has drawn significant attention not just for the violence of the arrest, but for the fact that Locklear was free to commit the crime at all.
According to court records, Locklear had been released on bond by state judges on two separate occasions prior to the shooting. In March 2022, he was released after an arrest for armed robbery. While out on that bond, he was arrested again in November 2022 on murder and robbery charges. Despite the severity of the new charges, a state court judge released him on bond again in May 2023.
By September 2023, Locklear was wanted again, this time for allegedly choking his sister and cutting off his ankle monitor. Authorities later found machine guns and narcotics in his vehicle while investigating that dispute.
“Not Fit for Society”
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle issued a blistering statement regarding Locklear’s repeated releases and subsequent violence.
“This demon should not have walked freely in our community after his first crimes in March 2022, and certainly not after the 2023 crimes,” Boyle said. “He is not fit for society, and our families don’t need to worry about him shooting more victims for the next 45 years.”
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Sheriff Burnis Wilkins expressed relief that his deputies survived the encounter. “By the grace of God, the two deputies who were shot and ran over with a stolen patrol car survived,” Wilkins said. “This outcome sends a clear message that violence against those who serve and protect our communities daily will not be tolerated.”
While Locklear begins his federal sentence, his legal troubles are not over. He still faces separate state charges in Robeson County, including attempted murder.
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