Due to increased wildfire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28 until further notice.

Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued . The issuance of any new permits has also been suspended until the ban is lifted. Anyone violating the burn ban faces a $100 fine plus $183

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, at approximately 4:30PM, Lieutenant Waters was patrolling the US 17 Business area near Speedway in Chocowinity when he responded to a BOLO for an active-duty Marine experiencing suicidal thoughts. Lieutenant Waters quickly located a vehicle matching the description from the alert and made contact with the Marine at the gas pumps. Upon approaching, Lieutenant Waters observed that the individual had multiple self‑inflicted lacerations to his arm and

Sheriff Hammonds would like to make the public aware of several scams that are currently affecting Beaufort County residents. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office received a report of a scam where a person claiming to be a lawyer told a resident her local church pastor was involved in a crash that injured a pregnant woman and was in jail. The suspect requested $4,500 in cash to get the pastor out of jail and cover the woman's medical expenses. The suspect requested the victim

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office has received another report of a scam involving parking and toll violations. The scammers are attempting to get victims to scan a QR code to settle unpaid fees. Though this document looks official, it is yet another attempt to scam you out of your hard earned money. Don't take the bait. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, please report it to your local law enforcement agency.

March 16, 2026 at 08:55 Here is the latest update from the US National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City NC The threat for severe thunderstorms continues today, March 16. This has the potential to be a significant severe weather event. In addition, we have expanded the wind advisory further west for gusty south winds of up to 45-50 mph this afternoon to early evening. Key Messages • Enhanced (Level 3 of 5) risk of severe thunderstorms, with the risk increasing to Moder

Sheriff Scott Hammonds, Lieutenant Waters, K9 Athos, and Corporal Davis had a great time attending Career Day at P. S. Jones Middle School! Students had the opportunity to learn more about careers in law enforcement and the many specialized units within the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. Deputies spoke about K9 operations, highlighting how K9 Athos assists deputies with tracking, narcotics detection, and protecting both deputies and the community. Students were also introd

On March 9, 2026, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing 36-year-old intellectually disabled endangered female resident of Beaufort County. Deputies immediately initiated an investigation and quickly developed information regarding the circumstances surrounding the individual’s disappearance. Detectives began tracking the victim’s cellphone and quickly determined the victim was traveling west through Minnesota. Working collaboratively with law

Today, Corporal Davis spent the day with students at Eastern Elementary School, sharing information about the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office Drone Program. The students had the opportunity to learn how drones help our deputies with public safety, search operations, and protecting our community. We always enjoy opportunities like this to connect with our youth and show them how law enforcement works to keep everyone safe. Building positive relationships with the next genera

Lieutenant Waters and K-9 Athos spent the day with the students at Chocowinity Primary School. The children learned about the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office Drone program and K-9 Team. We are always excited to interact with our youth in a positive way!

Today Beaufort County took another step in the right direction in providing assistance to women in need. Open Door Women's Shelter celebrated the opening of their new addition with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new section adds 3,000 square feet to the facility and a total of 25 beds. This includes two, two-bedroom dormitories for families, and 11 beds and lockers for single women. This facility will help both single women and women with children who are unhoused. Sheriff

No student should have to choose between having their period and going to school. Thanks to our collaboration with United Way Inner Banks , we were able to prep and distribute Flow Kits for Hyde County Public School System & Beaufort County Schools, NC! It was a full community effort, with support from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, NC, to make the delivery! #DignityforAll #PeriodPovertyAwareness #PeriodPowerNC #DiaperOnLCF Support the Period Power Program: https://www

A coordinated two-month investigation led by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit and K-9 team, in partnership with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Greenville Police Department (GPD), has resulted in the disruption of a significant fentanyl and cocaine distribution network operating in Beaufort and Pitt counties. On February 13, 2026, investigators executed search warrants at two locations — one in Washington, North Carolina, and a rel

Since 2022, the number of reported opioid/fentanyl overdoses has dropped by 77 percent . This huge reduction can be attributed to focused enforcement on fentanyl dealers and enhanced partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. In addition, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office has partnered with local nonprofits and community outreach groups to provide and promote education on the dangers of fentanyl. Through our partnership with Beaufort County Crim

On February 11, 2026, Patrol Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop in the Chocowinity Area. During their investigation, K9 Athos was deployed and detected the presence of narcotics. The driver, identified as 28-year-old Raimelle Andres’ Peterson, was detained for a probable cause search of the vehicle. Drugs and a handgun were found during the subsequent search, and Peterson was placed under arrest. Peterson attempted to dispose of concea

On February 1, 2026, Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to a structure fire near the intersection of NC Highway 99 South and Marslender Road in Belhaven. The structure was uninhabited and completely burned, leaving only a brick foundation and metal roofing material. The fire was deemed suspicious, and Detectives responded to process the scene. During the investigation, Deputies discovered footprints in the snow near the scene. Additionally, seve

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has received several questions and requests for information regarding an Animal Neglect and Abuse case that was reported in 2024. On September 10, 2024, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to a property, located off Sidney Rd. in Belhaven, to assist Beaufort County Animal Control with an Animal Cruelty investigation. Beaufort County Animal Control responded to the property after receiving a report from a concerned resident regar

On Tuesday, December 30, 2025, an employee of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office reported seeing a social media post alleging they were involved in animal neglect. Upon the employee self-reporting the allegations made against them, an investigation was initiated immediately, and the employee was placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. The incident allegedly occurred in Pitt County where the employee resides. Sheriff Scott Hammonds notif

Winter weather doesn’t end when the snowfall stops. In fact, some of the most dangerous driving conditions appear after the snow has cleared, when roads look passable but remain unpredictable and hazardous. The North Carolina Department of Transportation continues to clear the roadways in Beaufort County. Primary roadways, such as US17, US264, and NC33 have greatly improved. With that said, most secondary roads are still covered with snow and ice, especially in shaded areas

On February 2, 2026 at 11:02am, Deputies and Officers with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and Washington Police Department responded to a Domestic Dispute between a mother and son at a residence in the 2000 block of West 5th Street in Washington. When Deputies arrived, they learned that 35-year-old Mason Banks Brown of Washington NC, had assaulted his elderly mother. When confronted by Law Enforcement, Brown charged a Deputy with a knife. Tasers and pepper spray were

February 3, 2026 at 14:00 From Beaufort County Emergency Services: Our office would like to provide you all with a brief update on our county’s efforts to recover from our recent winter storm, and share information related to our forecasted weather pattern for the next 10 to 14 days. Current Recovery Efforts Road Clearing • DOT and municipal staff are diligently working to clear our roadways of accumulated snow and ice. Our primary roads (Hwy 264, 17, 33, 32, 92 etc.) are m

As we head into tonight, temperatures are plummeting well below freezing. Any remaining snow from today will refreeze, and black ice will form quickly—especially on bridges, overpasses, elevated roads like the Hwy 17 bypass, and untreated surfaces. Travel will be extremely dangerous tonight and into the early morning hours. If at all possible, stay home and off the roads. If you must travel, go slow, increase following distance, avoid sudden stops/turns, and assume ice is pr

Here is the latest update from Beaufort County Emergency Services. There were no major changes with this morning’s update. Beaufort County is expected to receive between 8 and 12-inch of snow over the next 24 hours and remain below freezing through Monday afternoon with windchills of 15 degrees or less. We encourage everyone to make any last minute preparations, to include trips to the grocery store, hardware store, etc. before noon today as conditions will quickly deterio