On May 3, 2024, 35-year-old Ramzan Daraev was shot and killed near a residence on Dowd Road in Carthage, North Carolina. The homeowner, an unnamed U.S. Army Special Forces officer stationed at Fort Liberty, told deputies he found Daraev taking photographs near the property around 8:15 p.m. The officer’s wife, who was outside with their children, alerted him and the officer says Daraev became aggressive after being asked to leave.

The officer retrieved a handgun and, according to his account, fired when Daraev lunged at him. Investigators found Daraev’s Chevrolet Spark parked on Dowd Road and an international driver’s license inside; he was not wearing utility identification and had no visible work equipment. Digital evidence showed Daraev had photographed power poles in the area. A coworker, Adsalam Dzhankutov, was detained and later reported hearing shots but did not immediately link them to Daraev.

Moore County detectives reviewed witness statements, physical evidence and the gunshot pattern and determined the officer’s actions were legally justified under North Carolina’s Castle Doctrine; no charges were filed. Daraev’s family disputes the account, saying he was unarmed and performing his job for a subcontractor working on a fiber optic project, and they have asked for further investigation. Did anyone in the Carthage area see Daraev working that evening or have more information about his movements?