County opposes proposed biolab

The Durham County commissioners voted 4 to 1 Monday to oppose a federal biodefense lab proposed for Butner.

The board will ask the N.C. Consortium for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a group made up large academic institutions and agricultural organizations, to withdraw its bid to bring the lab to Granville County. Granville County leaders and the city of Raleigh also oppose the project.

Butner is one of five sites on the short list for the 520,000-square-foot lab, where researchers would study highly contagious human and animal diseases. It would be built and operating by 2015.

Residents opposing the lab poured into the commissioners' chambers in large numbers Monday, even though The Associated Press has reported that U.S. officials were leaning toward a site in Mississippi.

Suspect dies from gunshot wounds

The man a Raleigh police officer shot last week died from his wounds Wednesday at WakeMed Raleigh Campus.

Renford Butler, 34, of Durham, was shot twice by Officer J. Bloodworth on Aug. 7 after he apparently carjacked a Durham-based taxi and led police on a chase that ended in downtown Raleigh.

Court records show that Butler was involuntarily committed to Dorothea Dix Hospital two years ago after telling a psychologist he had heard a voice in his head telling him to kill people. The record doesn't say how long Butler was at the state mental hospital.

In a report Monday, Raleigh Police Chief Harry Dolan said Butler crashed the stolen taxi into a van, then "jumped from the taxi wielding a straight razor in his hand."

Three officers, including Bloodworth, told him to drop the weapon, the report said. "The suspect refused ... and began yelling that he was not going to jail and that the officers were going to have to kill him."

Moore tried to tackle Butler from behind, but Butler turned and swiped at him with the razor, the report said. Butler then moved toward Bloodworth, who fired two shots, the report said.