Armed woman intervenes to protect a man who was shot in the face by assailant.

According to authorities, an armed female bystander in North Carolina came to the rescue of a man who had just been shot in the face by an attacker.

According to the Shelby Police Department, at around 6 p.m. last Monday, a man identified as Unterio M. Jolly, 33, got into a verbal confrontation with another guy on Smith Street in Shelby, according to the Shelby Star.

According to Capt. Seth Treadway, the two men eventually parted ways, but approximately 30 minutes later, Jolly allegedly hunted down the other man and approached him with a firearm.

According to authorities, Jolly then reportedly shot the other man in the face.

“Then they kind of go their separate ways, and about a half an hour after Unterio shows up with a gun and shoots (the man) in the face and the shoulder,” Treadway said in an interview with the Shelby Star.

According to authorities, an unidentified bystander then stepped in to defend the injured man.

“Immediately after he does that, a concerned citizen shoots back in an attempt to protect the man and hits Jolly about five times.” Treadway told the newspaper, “She shoots him five times.”

According to authorities, the woman was lawfully armed and had a concealed carry permit.

According to the Shelby Star, Jolly is in critical but stable condition following the shooting, while the other man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Jolly was found to be the aggressor and is now facing charges of criminal assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, causing severe harm, felon in possession of a firearm, and assault by pointing a gun.

“We will consult with the District Attorney’s Office later in the day to see if those charges need to stay the same,” Treadway said in a statement. “I do not expect any charges against the person who returned fire.”