GARYSBURG – One man is in the hospital and another is on the lamb after an early-morning incident here Friday.

According to Northampton County Sheriff Wardie P. Vincent, a call came in to his office between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Friday claiming a man had been shot at the Best Western Motel.

&uot;When our officers arrived, they found a man had been shot in the face,&uot; Vincent said.

The man, Charles &uot;Goat&uot; Pearson, 43, of Bay Street in Gaston, was transported to Halifax Regional Medical Center. Vincent believed Pearson was treated and then transferred to Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville.

Investigators were told one black male came to the door of the motel, carried on a conversation with Pearson and then shots were fired.

&uot;We are thinking this may be a drug-related incident,&uot; Vincent said. &uot;Our thinking is based on the fact that there were narcotics present in the room.&uot;

Also present in the room with Pearson was Tammy K. Brooks of 830 Madison Street in Roanoke Rapids. She was charged with possession of a controlled substance schedule VI and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was placed under a $1,000 cash bond in the Northampton County Jail.

Vincent said officers are continuing to investigate the shooting. They are searching for a black male who is described as being approximately six-feet tall and 180 pounds. He was last seen fleeing on foot wearing an orange sweatshirt and jeans.