Trooper fires after pursuit; woman critically wounded in Greensboro

A traffic stop that turned into a multi-minute pursuit ended with a trooper firing and a 36-year-old woman critically wounded on U.S. 421 near Pleasant Garden Road. The State Bureau of Investigation confirmed the North Carolina Highway Patrol requested SBI assistance to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred about 10 a.m. on Jan. 13.

Highway Patrol officials said the incident began when a trooper attempted to stop a speeding vehicle on Vandalia Road. When the driver did not yield, the trooper pursued the vehicle for several minutes. The chase continued onto Pleasant Garden Road and ended when the trooper executed a Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver, to stop the vehicle.

The driver was identified as Kasandra Forbes, 36. Patrol accounts state Forbes then pulled out a gun and the trooper fired, striking her. Troopers and other officers at the scene began life-saving measures for a gunshot wound until emergency medical services arrived. Forbes was taken to a local hospital and is listed in critical condition. The trooper, identified as Trooper Zachary Bullard, a six-year veteran stationed in Guilford County, was not injured.

Bullard has been placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation, a step patrol officials described as standard protocol in trooper-involved shootings. The SBI-led probe will run parallel to the Highway Patrol’s internal review. Troopers said charges against Forbes are forthcoming.

The scene drew a substantial multi-agency law enforcement response. A local television crew observed at least a dozen officers from several agencies, reflecting the scale of resources deployed for the incident and subsequent traffic management. The sequence of events—from the initial speeding stop on Vandalia Road through the PIT maneuver and the shooting on U.S. 421—has raised immediate public-safety and accountability questions among motorists and neighborhood residents.

For Guilford County commuters, the shooting underscores the potential risks tied to high-speed stops and pursuits on busy corridors. U.S. 421 and Pleasant Garden Road serve as primary routes for many drivers; disruptions during the response likely contributed to delayed travel and heightened concern in nearby communities. The SBI investigation and the patrol’s internal review will be key to clarifying the timeline and the use-of-force decision.

What happens next will matter for public confidence and for any legal proceedings. The SBI is expected to conclude its investigation and the Highway Patrol will complete its internal review; officials said charges against the driver are forthcoming. Residents should expect additional updates from law enforcement as those inquiries progress and may see continued visible patrol activity in the area as officials wrap up their work.