news-record.com

RALEIGH (AP) - Work paused for awhile at the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office as employees paid their respects to Deputy Adam William Klutz, whose body was brought to the department's headquarters for viewing.

Klutz, 25, was shot in the head Friday night while responding to a 911 hang-up call to a home. He died early Saturday morning.

Lt. Chris Martin, who arrived after Klutz was shot, was shot three times in his bulletproof vest. He suffered minor injuries.

"We're devastated," said Caldwell County Sheriff's Office spokesman Det. B.J. Fore. "But that's not stopping us from our mission of finding this guy."

Fore said more than 200 officers from a handful of agencies, including the FBI, are looking for Skip Brinkley, 32, who's accused of shooting both deputies.

Brinkley, a former police officer and Iraq War vet, was allegedly seen riding away from the scene on horseback. Officials do not believe the two knew each other.

Klutz had been employed by the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office for about 18 months, first as a detention officer before being promoted to the patrol division.

"We're very saddened by the death of Adam Klutz," Caldwell County Sheriff Alan Jones said through Fore.

"We ask that the citizens of our community pray for Adam and his family during this difficult time."

According to Army records, Brinkley, who was born Larry Wayne Brucke Jr., served three years at Fort Campbell, Ky., from 1996 to 1999. As a member of the Army National Guard, he deployed to Iraq from May 2006 to April 2007.

He also worked at the Seneca Police Department in Seneca, S.C., from August 2001 to October 2002. Officials there, citing confidentiality laws, would not say whether he was fired or quit.

Brinkley, whose most recent address is in Lenoir, was last seen wearing a gray Carhartt t-shirt and brown Dickies pants.

He is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds with blond hair, green eyes and a goatee. He is believed to be armed and dangerous.

Friday night's shooting is the second incident in Caldwell County in less than two weeks where deputies have been injured while on the job.

Two members of the department's SWAT team were shot by a suspect while trying to serve a narcotics warrant. Capt. Mike Longo and Sgt. Erl Davis suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

The suspect was also injured in the incident. The N.C. Bureau of Investigation is investigating because shots were fired by law enforcement.