Left: Kelvin Simmons (Buncombe County Sheriff”s Office) Right: Francisco Flattes (Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office)
A chaotic and tragic scene unfolded this week when a federal inmate stole a jail officer’s gun, shot and killed him with it, hijacked a nearby vehicle and led law enforcement on a several-county-wide chase, authorities say.
Kelvin Simmons, 48, was brought to an orthopedic clinic in Cherokee County, North Carolina, on Monday by Cherokee County Detention Officers Francisco Flattes and George Fienauer for an undisclosed medical treatment.
At some point during the visit, Simmons “overpowered” the officers, stole Flattes’ gun, and shot him with it, Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith said.
“After the shooting, Simmons fled into the clinic parking lot and commandeered a vehicle that had just arrived on the scene,” the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office announced.
The defendant then led deputies and the North Carolina Highway Patrol on a long chase east through Clay County into Macon County, where he was eventually stopped about an hour away, according to law enforcement.
“Following a brief standoff, Simmons was taken into custody by Macon County Sheriff’s Office,” the sheriff’s office said.
Flattes, 56, died from his wounds. Smith said Simmons will be charged with first-degree murder. Fienauer, the other officer, reportedly sustained injuries in the altercation, too, but not from gunshots.
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“This is the hardest day of my career, we are all mourning the loss of Francisco and doing everything we can to support each other and the family and loved ones of Officer Flattes,” Smith added.
Simmons was already in jail on bank robbery charges, the sheriff noted, adding the suspect was also awaiting charges for a previous escape attempt last October. Further charges in addition to first-degree murder are expected to be filed soon.
A 911 call at the time of the “violent altercation” on Monday provides some insight into what happened.
An unidentified caller at the medical facility told the 911 operator in a roughly six-minute call that a patient had a gun, according to Asheville-based ABC affiliate WLOS.
“He’s shooting off in the lobby?” the operator asked, to which the caller replied in the affirmative.
“He’s got a hostage!” the caller added a short time after, reportedly identifying Simmons as the patient wearing a gray jumpsuit.
When Simmons allegedly escaped from the building, the caller said he appeared to be approaching a vehicle.
“He’s robbing her!” the caller exclaimed. “He’s getting in a Chevy — a black Chevy car.”
Flattes’ wife also works for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. He leaves behind her, his children, and many grandchildren, authorities said.
Cherokee County is the westernmost county in North Carolina, bordering Tennessee. It has a population of just about 30,000 people.
