Full Notification

On Saturday, May 29, 2021 just before 11:00 p.m. members of the Forest City Police Department responded to a disturbance in the area of Dogwood Lane in Forest City. When officers arrived on scene they discovered that the disturbance involved an exchange of gunfire and left one individual injured. The injured citizen later succumbed to his injuries, and has been identified as Marcus O'Neil Hill of Forest City.

As the investigation began detectives with the department quickly identified Jeremy Lee Brown, 38 years of age, from Rutherfordton, North Carolina as the suspected offender. With the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, and the Rutherfordton Police Department Brown was taken into custody without incident.

Mr. Brown has been charged with First Degree Murder and two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. He is currently being held in the Rutherford County Detention Center without bond. If anyone has any information that may assist in the ongoing investigation they are asked to contact Sergeant Moore with the Forest City Police Department.