Only on WRAL: Aunt of man killed by Nash Co. deputy speaks about final phone call

Mary Yoder Crus, aunt of Christopher Erb, said she was negotiating with him and the sheriff's office over the phone as he barricaded himself inside a home. He was shot and killed after deputies said he pointed an AR-style rifle towards them.
Posted 2/7/2026, 4:56:16 AM Updated 2/7/2026, 5:00:11 AM

BLOCKED. WELL, POLICE AND

FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED. NO WORD

ON WHETHER ANYONE WAS HURT ONLY

ON WRAL. WE'RE LEARNING MORE

ABOUT A DEADLY SHOOTING THIS

WEEK INVOLVING NASH COUNTY

DEPUTIES. THE NASH COUNTY SWAT

TEAM WENT TO A MAN IN

CHRISTOPHER HERBS HOME

WEDNESDAY NIGHT AFTER GETTING A

9-1-1, CALL SAYING THAT OR WAS

HOLDING A KNIFE TO HIS WIFE'S

THROAT HERBS ON MARY YODER

CREWS. SO SHE WAS NEGOTIATING

OVER THE PHONE WITH HIM AND

WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS

HE BARRICADED HIMSELF INSIDE

THE HOME.

>> YOU SAID THAT, YES, HE WAS

FIGHTING WITH HIS WIFE AND I

KNEW THAT THAT WAS IN THE FIRST

PHONE CALL.

AND THAT WHEN THEY KNOCKED ON

THE DOOR, SHE WENT OUT. THE

POLICE HELPED HER GET AWAY WITH

AND HE SAID THERE WERE 17

PISTOL IS POINTED AT HIS HEAD

AND TELLING YOU THIS IS THE

HARDEST THING THAT I'VE EVER.

>> HAD TO GO THROUGH IN MY

LIFE. I MEAN.

I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY DO

HAPPEN LIKE IT DID.

>> SHERIFF KEITH STONE HAD

WALKED AWAY FROM HIS HOME, MADE

VERBAL THREATS AND RAISED AN

AR-STYLE RIFLE TOWARD THE

DEPUTIES. THAT'S WHEN HE WAS

SHOT TO DEATH. GO TO WRAL DOT