Authorities: Trooper fatally shoots man during traffic stop

SILER CITY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina trooper fatally shot a man who authorities said “presented a pistol” during a traffic stop initiated for a seat belt violation.

The trooper stopped a Ford pickup truck in Siler City late Monday afternoon, the State Highway Patrol said in a news release. During the stop, the release said, Mark Anthony Diaz, 21, “presented” a pistol and Trooper Rodney N. Cook fired his service weapon, striking Diaz. Diaz was taken from the scene and later pronounced dead, officials said. A passenger fled the scene, but returned during the investigation.

Cook, who has been with the patrol for 16 years, was not injured and has been placed on routine administrative duty during an internal investigation, the Highway Patrol said. The State Bureau of Investigation is conducting a separate investigation.