A Fletcher man was shot and killed Dec. 20 by a Haywood County Sheriff's Office law enforcement officer after the man attempted to stab the officer, a news release said.

According to the release from Haywood County Sheriff's Office, on the afternoon of Dec. 20, Michael Shope, 42, of Fletcher, was armed with a knife and attacked a Haywood County deputy, and the deputy responded by shooting Shope as Shope continued to attack him.

Deputies had responded to a call of a suspicious person near Harmon Den Horse Campground, located in a secluded area off Cold Springs Road in Haywood County, the release said.

According to the release, the Fletcher Police Department had been actively looking for Shope since Dec. 3.

Gina Zachary, Haywood County Sheriff's Office's public information officer, told The Citizen Times Dec. 23 that as the case was still an active investigation, no additional details would be made available.

According to the release, the Fletcher Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are also assisting the Haywood County Sheriff's Office with the investigation.