Ellenboro 911 Disturbance

Newly released emergency communications and sheriff’s office records show that a Dec. 27 incident at an Ellenboro home was initially classified by dispatch as a “creating disturbance” call, a designation that contrasts sharply with the victim’s account and later felony charges confirmed by investigators.

The documents, obtained by WCAB News through a public records request, provide a detailed timeline of the 911 call, dispatch decisions, and subsequent law enforcement response at a residence at 107 Alamo St. They also help explain why deputies initially treated the incident as a misdemeanor-level case before it escalated to a felony investigation.

According to the emergency communications report, the 911 call was logged shortly after 7 p.m. and categorized as a priority emergency for “creating disturbance.” Dispatch notes indicate the caller, Brandi Hutchins, reported a man at her home who was refusing to leave. The records show Hutchins later told dispatchers that the man had left the scene and that she would call back if he returned.

The call was ultimately marked complete, with no immediate in-person arrest made that evening, according to the records.

Hutchins has publicly disputed that characterization, saying the situation was far more serious. In a social media post that later drew widespread attention, she alleged that the father of her youngest child arrived at her home armed, attempted to force entry while she was on the phone with 911, and fired multiple shots into a vehicle and toward the occupied mobile home while six children were inside.

At the time of the initial call, the newly released records show no indication had been documented that gunfire struck the home itself — a critical detail under North Carolina law. Shooting into an occupied dwelling is a felony offense, while other domestic-related allegations can be charged as misdemeanors.

The sheriff’s incident and investigation report shows deputies later documented damage consistent with gunfire, including a vehicle that had been struck by bullets. The report lists offenses, including shooting into an occupied home and damage to personal and real property. No injuries were reported.

The emergency communications log also shows that later that night, deputies conducted a traffic stop involving the suspect but did not make an arrest because no warrants had been issued at that time. After misdemeanor warrants were later obtained, deputies attempted to locate the suspect in the early morning hours but were unsuccessful.

The case shifted the following day after deputies became aware of Hutchins’ social media post and returned to the residence with a patrol officer, a forensic investigator and a detective. According to the sheriff’s office, investigators then discovered a bullet hole inside the occupied mobile home, confirming that gunfire had entered the residence.

That finding prompted felony charges. Steven Thomas Ford, 25, was arrested Dec. 28 and charged with felony shooting into an occupied dwelling, along with multiple misdemeanor offenses, including assault on a female, communicating threats, domestic criminal trespass, and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Investigators also recovered a small-caliber handgun believed to have been used in the incident, which was found discarded along a roadway.

Court records allege a bullet ricocheted into the home while six people were inside, a factor that elevates the offense to a violent felony under state law.

In a statement released exclusively to WCAB News following the incident, Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg said deputies relied on the information available during the initial patrol response and dispatch call, which suggested the immediate threat had ended and that the victim planned to seek misdemeanor warrants through a magistrate. He said the case changed once evidence showed the occupied home had been struck by gunfire.

The sheriff’s office said a full review of the incident — including 911 call handling, body camera footage and investigative actions — is ongoing. Ellenburg said any appropriate actions will be taken once that review is complete, while noting that some information cannot be released during an active prosecution.

The newly released records underscore the gap between how the call was initially classified and how the incident ultimately unfolded, a disparity that has fueled public scrutiny of the response and raised questions about how domestic violence and firearm-related calls are assessed in real time. 

Ford is out on bond, with a hearing scheduled for January 14, according to NC Judicial Branch eCourts records.