Man charged with assault after police say he shot person with paintballs

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WITN) - Rocky Mount police have charged a man with assault after they say he shot someone with paintballs leaving the person with a severe eye injury.

The Rocky Mount Police Department said 23-year-old Michael Darcus has been charged with assault inflicting serious injury, damage to property, and three counts of misdemeanor assault.

Police say on Sunday at about 5 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting with injury at the intersection of Branch Street and Redgate Avenue. When officers got there, they said they found a victim shot with orange paintballs. Witnesses said the suspect fled the area in a gray vehicle and the victim was brought to UNC Nash Health Care for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury.

We’re told that on Monday at about 7:30 a.m., officers found the suspect’s vehicle, thanks to a camera system. Darcus was arrested after a traffic stop.

Police say that they searched Darcus’ home at 600 W. Raleigh Boulevard and found a paintball gun with orange paintballs. He was charged with the Sunday assault inflicting serious injury and faces the other charges from two other “paintball incidents.”

Darcus is jailed and being held on a $50,000 secured bond. He was also charged with a citation for driving without a license and possession of an open container of alcohol.

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