By Ernie Lee
District Attorney
On October 7, 2024, Colton Bush, age 28 years, was killed in a domestic-related shooting at 222 Bear Creek Road in Hubert, North Carolina. The evidence showed that Sadie Floyd shot and killed her estranged boyfriend while Bush was breaking and entering her residence. Floyd lived at this residence with her two young children. At the time of the breaking and entering, Bush was not a lawful occupant of the residence, and he was under an active Domestic Violence Protective Order to have no contact with Floyd. After review of the investigation by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, this office finds that Floyd was justified in using deadly force in self defense and in defense of habitation. No charges will be filed against Floyd for the shooting death of Bush.
The evidence shows that just after midnight on October 7, 2024, deputies with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a domestic-related shooting at 222 Bear Creek Road. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Bush inside the residence suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel transported Bush to Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, where he was pronounced deceased by medical staff.
There is a history of court involvement with this couple in the last few years. On September 23, 2024, a domestic violence protection order was issued by Floyd against Bush. Bush has been charged criminally with violating protection orders on two occasions. On April 15, 2024, Bush pled guilty plea to misdemeanor breaking and entering and violation of a domestic violence protective order. On August 26, 2024, a domestic violence protective order was dismissed by the court, over the State’s objection, for failure of Floyd to appear in court.
Bush has been convicted of selling cocaine, driving while impaired, misdemeanor breaking and entering, and violation of a domestic violence protective order. Pursuant to the breaking and entering conviction, Bush was ordered to wear a monitor.
On the night of October 7, 2024, the investigation shows that Bush called Floyd twenty-six (26) times and sent her dozens of text messages. At 10:11 p.m., Floyd told Bush to stop texting her. That same evening Bush told his mother that he was going back to jail and that he was wearing concrete boots to block his ankle monitor. Bush also called dispatch and said his court ordered ankle monitor was going to die and requested that his probation officer be notified.
Bush showed up at Floyd’s trailer shortly after midnight. The door was locked. Floyd was inside the residence with a friend. Her two children were asleep. Bush used a long screwdriver to try to open the door and when that was unsuccessful, he entered the residence through a window. On a video recording, Floyd can be heard telling Bush to go away.
Once Bush entered the trailer through the window, Floyd five shots from a .380 caliber handgun. All five shots struck Bush. Investigators found alcohol in Bush’s vehicle. A witness inside the residence said that “Colton came inside the residence through the window and went after Sadie, so Sadie shot him.”
On June 11, 2023, Bush was shot by a friend of one of Floyd’s relatives. In that incident, Bush broke in a residence and charged at the friend. The friend shot Bush in the leg. Bush was charged with felonious breaking and entering and on April 15, 2024, Bush pled guilty to misdemeanor breaking and entering and violation of a domestic violence protective order. As a condition of the probationary judgment, the defendant was ordered to wear an ankle monitor.
The law of self-defense excuses an assault or killing if the defendant acted with a reasonable belief that the use of force was necessary to protect himself. A person may kill even though it is not, in fact, necessary to kill to avoid death or great bodily harm if the person believes it to be necessary and has reasonable grounds for the belief.
In North Carolina, G.S. 14-51.2 is often referred to as “The Castle Doctrine.” This relates to the fact that everyone’s residence is deemed to be his or her castle. North Carolina’s statute provides protection for lawful occupants of homes. The statute states that a lawful occupant of a home is presumed to have held reasonable fear of imminent death or serious bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily harm to another if both: (1) the person against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had forcibly entered, a home, and (2) the person who uses defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.
Bush’s death, while tragic, was legally justifiable. Based upon self-defense and the defense of habitation or “The Castle Doctrine,” this shooting death is found to be justifiable. No charges will be filed against Floyd for the shooting death of Bush.