ROCKINGHAM — A local businessman accused of shooting a firefighter early Labor Day morning still has no bond.
Court records show District Court Judge Christopher Rhue ordered that 54-year-old Timothy Lee Hayden continue to be held without bond during the defendant’s first court appearance on Sept. 2.
The release order also states that Hayden is to “not have any contact with the victims.”
Hayden was charged on Sept. 1 with two counts of assault on emergency personnel with a firearm and one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.
According to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, two firefighters with the Ellerbe Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at Hayden’s home on Green Lake Road early Monday morning.
When they arrived, the firemen were reportedly “met with gunfire” when Hayden allegedly fired an “AR15-style” toward them. One of the men, Jerry Shepard, was reportedly shot in the leg.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office charged Hayden with resisting a public officer because he allegedly refused to place the rifle on the ground while a deputy was trying to render first aid to Shepard.
Hayden’s next court appearances are scheduled for Sept. 9 and 11, records show.
The case is still under investigation.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
NOTE: This story has been updated to add a court date. 9-2-25.
