Woman shot in chest by deputy tried to escape from the hospital, NC sheriff says
.jpg "The deputy involved in the shooting was not injured, officials said. The incident was captured on his body camera.")
An investigation into the shooting of a suspect took an unexpected turn when the wounded woman tried to escape from the hospital, according to investigators in Cherokee County, North Carolina.
Trista Danielle Hughes, 41, was being treated for a chest wound when she “attempted to leave ... and was taken into custody,” the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said at a news conference.
Hughes is being charged with assault on a law enforcement with a firearm, officials said.
She was shot around 4:20 p.m. Thursday, June 11, while a deputy was doing a welfare check on “school age children” at a rural home east of Murphy. It was reported a woman at the home was pointing a gun at another woman, the sheriff’s office said.
“As one deputy approached the residence on the driveway, he encountered a Toyota pickup truck that was being driven by Trista Danielle Hughes,” the sheriff’s office said.
“As the deputy issued commands, Hughes produced a Glock handgun and pointed it at the deputy. In response to the immediate threat, the deputy discharged his service weapon, firing multiple rounds. Hughes was struck at least once in the chest.”
A gun was confiscated from the truck and Hughes was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.
However, she “continued to resist and verbally confront responding personnel” as they tried to treat her injuries, officials said.
Hughes was flown to Erlanger Baroness Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for treatment, the sheriff’s office said. She is being held by the Chattanooga Police Department due to the attempt to escape the hospital, officials said.
The deputy involved in the shooting was not injured. The shooting was captured by his body camera, and has been reviewed by investigators, officials said.
No injuries were reported among the multiple people at the home where the welfare check was requested. A 9-year-old was among the people in the home, officials said.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting of Hughes, officials said.
Murphy is about a 240-mile drive southwest from uptown Charlotte.
This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Woman shot in chest by deputy tried to escape from the hospital, NC sheriff says."