MURPHY, N.C. (AP) — The community and beyond are mourning following the shooting death of a detention officer Monday, who was killed by an inmate trying to escape. 

The federal inmate escaped from custody at a medical clinic in western North Carolina and fatally shot 56-year-old Francisco Paul Flattes with his own gun Monday, then fled in a stolen vehicle before being captured in another county, a sheriff said.

The inmate had been taken to an orthopedics office in Murphy for undisclosed treatment when a scuffle began. The inmate took Flattes' weapon and shot him, Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith said at a news conference. The inmate ran into the parking lot, jumped into a vehicle that had just arrived and took off. The inmate was later apprehended in Macon County, nearly an hour to the east, Smith said.

Smith said the inmate, Kelvin Simmons, 48, will be charged with first-degree murder.

Flattes was a four-year employee of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, and Smith said Flattes' wife also works for the county detention center. The governor called his death a "tragic murder" in a post on X and said Flattes "paid the ultimate price" trying to keep people safe. 

Flags fly at half-staff after a detention officer was killed Monday by a federal inmate during an escape attempt, officials said. (Spectrum News 1/Kurt Story)

Another officer suffered injuries unrelated to the shooting and was recovering, the sheriff said.

“This has been probably one of the worst days of my career,” Smith said.

Emergency personnel in Clay County had alerted Macon County deputies that the inmate was driving to their county on U.S. Route 64, authorities said. Simmons' vehicle was stopped and he was detained after a short standoff. There were no injuries at the scene.

"We are saddened by the tragic events that occurred at our Erlanger Orthopaedics office in Murphy, NC, involving a fatal incident between a law enforcement officer and an inmate in custody. Our thoughts are with the fallen officer’s family, colleagues, and those impacted," Christine Brackett Gordon, director of marketing and public relations for Erlanger Medical said in part in a statement. 

Gordon said safety is their highest priority and said they are working with local authorities. 

"While this heart-breaking incident appears isolated, we are working with local authorities to ensure our campus is safe for everyone," Gordon said. 

Smith said Simmons was already being held on bank robbery charges along with an October 2024 escape. Murphy is in far western North Carolina, over 100 miles west of Asheville. 

"Officer Francisco Flattes is remembered for his honorable and dedicated service to Cherokee County. His loss is deeply felt by the sheriff’s office and the community," Sheriff Smith said on the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.