SBI investigating former Lincoln Co. deputy in drive-by shooting

NEWTON, N.C. (WBTV) – The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is investigating a former lieutenant with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in connection with a drive-by shooting that happened in May, an agency spokeswoman confirmed to WBTV.

Justin Frye, who is under investigation in connection with the shooting, was an LCSO lieutenant at the time of the incident.

He was fired in June after SBI investigators contacted the sheriff’s office in connection with the investigation, Frye told WBTV.

The SBI spokeswoman said they were investigating the shooting at the request of the Newton Police Department.

The shooting happened early one morning at the home of Kysa Frye, who was married to Justin Frye’s brother Christopher. Christopher Frye and Kysa Frye have filed for divorce.

Kysa Frye has home security cameras that caught the shooting on video, which she provided to WBTV.

The video shows what appears to be an older-model Ford SUV drive in front of her house, slow down, fire two shots towards a car in the driveway and then drive off.

“My son was sleeping on the couch and they could have easily been shot,” Kysa Frye said. “Which completely tears me up even thinking about it.

Frye said the gunshots woke her up and, at first, she thought it was a bad dream.

A spokesman for Sheriff Bill Beam told WBTV that Justin Frye was assigned a 2004 Ford Expedition at the time of the shooting.

Frye told WBTV that while SBI agents interviewed him at the sheriff’s office, agents went through his assigned vehicle, took photographs and collected other evidence. Frye said agents also seized his LCSO-issued cell phone and made a copy of his personal phone.

He was fired from the sheriff’s office after he was interviewed by SBI agents.

Other surveillance video provided to WBTV by Kysa Frye shows Justin Frye driving up and down Kysa Frye’s street revving the engine to his jeep.

Justin Frye admitted to driving his jeep back and forth in front of Kysa Frye’s home but said he did not fire the shots captured on video.

Weeks before the shooting at Kysa Frye’s home, her car was set on fire. The fire is also under investigation.

Kysa Frye’s estranged husband, Christopher Frye, was arrested in early May for repeatedly violating a domestic violence protective order.

The order, issued by a district court judge on March 30, required Christopher Frye to not be around his children or their elementary school until a future court hearing.

A lawyer for Christopher Frye did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story.

Kysa Frye said she fears for the lives of her and her children.

“I’ve had so much harassment from them that, I mean, my kids don’t feel safe in the house,” she said.

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