JEFFERSON - A Jackson County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man early Sunday after he reportedly threw a can of gasoline at the officer and some other deputies.
Sheriff Stan Evans said Monday morning the incident happened about 2:20 at a house on Lewis Sailors Road about five miles outside of Jefferson.
Evans said the officers had responded to a call for help from the wife of Kenneth Dewayne Martin, who said her husband had doused her with gasoline, poured gasoline "around the house," and was threatening to set her and the house on fire.
Sheriff Evans said the deputies were able to get the woman safely out of the house and then went inside.
There, he says they were met with a "strong odor" of gasoline and found the 50-year-old Martin sitting inside a bedroom closet with what turned out to be a BB gun. Evans says the officers used pepper spray on Martin in an attempt to get him to surrender.
However, Evans says Martin, instead, "put his weapon down, picked up a gas can and ignited the spout and then tossed it at the officers." It was at that point, Evans said, that he was shot by one of the deputies. The sheriff said the resulting fire burned one of the deputy's clothing.
He said Martin was then pulled from the burning house. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Evans said Martin had at least one prior conviction on domestic-related charges. In 2006, he was charged with aggravated assault, also in an incident involving his wife. Evans says he was convicted of that charge in 2007.
Friday
July 4th, 2025
5:58PM
