Buncombe County -- August 5, 2026: Detectives with the Asheville Police Department (APD) have filed formal criminal charges against a man involved in a knife-wielding incident and subsequent officer-involved shooting in West Asheville earlier this summer.
Curtis Kavanaugh Zane, 27, has been charged with three felony counts of Assault With a Deadly Weapon on a Government Official. Police say Zane remains hospitalized recovering from his injuries and will be formally served with open arrest warrants upon his release from medical care.
Incident Background
The charges stem from a June 7 emergency response at the Westmont Commons apartment complex on Chamberlain Drive.
Around 6:17 p.m., officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a man actively wielding a knife on the property. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect on a third-floor balcony, where he was observed throwing a chair and other household items down to the ground below.
According to police accounts:
The suspect descended the stairwell, holding a knife as he reached lower levels.
Responding officers gave immediate verbal commands instructing him to drop the weapon.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, the suspect sprinted directly toward the officers while brandishing the knife.
Officers discharged their service weapons, striking the suspect to stop the threat.
Officers immediately administered emergency medical aid on-scene until emergency medical services arrived. Zane was transported to Mission Hospital in critical but stable condition. No officers sustained injuries during the encounter.
Ongoing Investigation
Standard protocol for APD officer-involved shootings requires an independent review. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) was contacted following the incident and continues to conduct the official inquiry into the use of force.