Road-rage suspect accused of dragging Buncombe deputy on I-40

An early-morning shooting on Interstate 40 near Exit 59 turned into a violent arrest days later when a Buncombe County sheriff’s lieutenant was hit and dragged a short distance during a struggle with a suspect investigators had been seeking. Alexander Sherman McKenzie, 50, of Hendersonville, now faces attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and carrying a concealed weapon.

The case began just before 6 a.m. June 10 near Patton Cove Road and Exit 59 on I-40, where authorities said a shooting was reported along the busy mountain corridor. Investigators later linked McKenzie to the incident and said he was wanted for questioning in connection with the highway shooting.

Authorities said McKenzie was arrested shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday on Tunnel Road in Asheville. He was driving a 2025 Nissan Sentra when officers tried to take him into custody, and investigators said he resisted commands and attempted to drive away while dragging the lieutenant. The deputy was not injured. After the arrest, authorities said a 9 mm handgun was found in McKenzie’s possession.

The charges place the case among the most serious officer-safety incidents in Buncombe County this year because the confrontation combined a reported shooting, a firearm and the use of a moving vehicle against law enforcement. Court records show prior federal cases involving Alexander Sherman McKenzie in the Western District of North Carolina, and reporting identified him as a convicted felon with a previous prison sentence for bank robbery.

The arrest also follows a separate March 2026 Buncombe County case in which another deputy was hit and dragged by a vehicle before later leaving the hospital. Sheriff Quentin Miller, who was first sworn in Dec. 3, 2018, has already faced repeated reminders this year that roadside calls can turn violent in seconds, especially on Interstate 40 and other fast-moving routes where deputies work in close quarters with drivers.

For Buncombe County, the new case underscores how quickly road rage, gunfire and a traffic stop can collide into a felony-level assault on a deputy. The investigation now turns on the chain of events that began near Exit 59, moved to Asheville, and ended with an armed suspect in custody after a dangerous roadside struggle.