Federal Judge Sentences Robeson County Murder Suspect Who Shot and Ran Over Two Sheriff’s Deputies to 45 Years in Federal Prison

NEW BERN, N.C. –A Maxton man, Shawn Tobin Locklear, Jr., who was only 20 years old at the time, tried to kill two Robeson County Sheriff’s Deputies by shooting them and running them over with their own patrol car. Last year, he pleaded guilty to using a gun during a crime of violence and possessing a machine gun while selling drugs. A federal judge sentenced him to 45 years in federal prison for these crimes.

After officers arrested Locklear for armed robbery while using a gun, a state court judge released him in March 2022. A few months later in November 2022, while Locklear roamed free on bond despite his first gun crime, Robeson County Sheriff Deputies arrested him for murder and robbery charges. He allegedly used a gun to commit that murder. Shockingly, in May 2023, a state court judge released Locklear on bond while he awaited trial on those murder charges. A few months later in September of 2023, Locklear allegedly committed domestic violence crimes by choking his sister because he accused her of stealing one of his guns. When she called 911, he cut off his ankle monitor and fled the scene. While investigating those crimes, officers seized marijuana, cocaine, crack, and firearms, including machine guns, from Locklear’s car.

 

Two months after that latest crime spree, Robeson County Sheriff Deputies located Locklear, on November 7, 2023. As they attempted to arrest him, Locklear busted out his house and scurried into the woods. When two deputies located him on the other side of the woods, their bodycam footage showed him hiding behind a tree. As the deputies commanded him to show his hands and surrender, Locklear first showed his left hand on the left side of the tree. Suddenly, without warning, Locklear popped out on the right side of the tree with his gun drawn and unleashed a blaze of bullets. His barrage struck both deputies several times in the legs and gutshot. Wounded and shocked, the deputies crawled to cover behind their patrol car. As one deputy reloaded, Locklear sprinted up and dove into the driver’s seat of the patrol car. He gunned it in reverse, running over one deputy and almost crushing both. During the skirmish, the deputies shot Locklear. Locklear left the deputies to die, bleeding in the dirt.

The deputies called EMS to dispatch an ambulance to provide emergency care. Locklear intercepted the ambulance speeding to those deputies, stopping it in the middle of the road. He commandeered the ambulance for himself and absconded to the hospital. Thankfully, other Robeson County deputies responded, loaded their wounded brothers into the bed of a pickup truck, and rushed them to the same hospital. They arrested Locklear in the hospital. 

“Every day our law enforcement heroes steady themselves in the mirror, suit up in uniform, leave anxious families behind, and walk out of their homes to valiantly stand between our law-abiding citizens and the violent, anti-social scoundrels who care only about feeding their greed and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This demon should not have walked freely in our community after his first crimes in March 2022, and certainly not after the 2023 crimes. He is not fit for society, and our families don’t need to worry about him shooting more victims for the next 45 years. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the brave, steadfast public servants who put their lives on the line to remove this scourge from our community. Make no mistake, threats of violence and actual attacks on our law enforcement officers will not be tolerated in North Carolina, whether the weapon is a gun or a two-thousand-pound vehicle. As always, our thanks extend to the dedicated and professional deputies in this case, literally heroes who faced down death, and the other law enforcement partners who collaborated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to force this villain to spend his next 45 years surrounded by concrete and steel. We also applaud Judge Flanagan’s appropriate sentence, which will keep the citizens and children in our community safe for decades.” 

“Today’s sentence brings accountability for a violent and deliberate attack on law enforcement. By the grace of God, the two deputies who were shot and ran over with a stolen patrol car survived, and we remain deeply grateful for their courage, resilience, and recovery. This outcome sends a clear message that violence against those who serve and protect our communities daily will not be tolerated, and those responsible will be held fully accountable,” said Sheriff Burnis Wilkins.

“The safety of our communities is strongly supported by the brave men and women in law enforcement,” said Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “An attack on an officer is an attack on the community, and ATF will continue to deliver every resource we can to prevent this type of violence against our law enforcement partners.”

“The Robeson County District Attorney’s Office is grateful to the Eastern District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts on this case and look forward to partnering in the future to have a robust federal presence to promote safety in our community,” said Robeson County District Attorney Matt Scott. “One exciting example of this partnership is the imminent hiring of a Special AUSA from Robeson County District Attorney’s Office to further pursue state and federal criminal convictions focused on keeping our community safe.”

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF investigated the case, and AUSAs Ashley Foxx and Robert Dodson prosecuted the case. Locklear still faces state charges for attempted murder and other crimes in Robeson County.

A copy of this press release is located on the EDNC USAO website. Related court documents and information can be found on the EDNC USAO website or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-CR-33-FL-BM.