By Mark Price, Lauren Lindstrom
The Charlotte Observer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer has been hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds after being shot in east Charlotte, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Monday morning.
The suspect is 14 years old and is in custody, officials said. He will be charged with robbery and attempted murder of a police officer, although police said Monday afternoon there was no update on the charges.
The incident happened around 7:20 a.m. and began with a call about a vehicle break-in near the 6100 block of Winged Elm Court, authorities said. That’s in the Woodland Estates Apartments south of Albemarle Road.
Officers arrived and a foot pursuit ensued, officials said.
The suspect fired at police while he was being chased and hit one officer, Deputy Chief Coerte Voorhees said. He said that officer returned fire but didn’t hit the suspect or anyone else.
A second officer took the suspect into custody and a gun was recovered from the suspect, police said. It was not immediately known what kind of gun was recovered.
The suspect, who has not been identified, previously pointed the weapon at an unidentified person, police said, who may have been the owner of the vehicle involved in the break-in. That person was not injured.
Police have not said how the suspect got the weapon, but Voorhees reminded people to keep their guns locked and secured to deter theft.
“It is a bad day in Charlotte or anywhere when a 14-year old-possesses a gun and tries to kill a police officer,” Voorhees said. “We’re fortunate today this wasn’t more serious” for officers or the suspect.
The wounded officer was taken to Atrium Health CMC Main. As of late Monday afternoon, CMPD had not released the officer’s name, nor an update on his condition.
As is standard procedure with any officer-involved shooting, CMPD said its Internal Affairs Bureau will conduct a separate but parallel investigation to determine whether CMPD policies and procedures were followed during the incident. The officer, who was not identified, will be placed on paid administrative leave, which also is standard policy when an officer discharges a service weapon.
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will not investigate, as the officer who shot at the suspect did not hit him or anyone else, Voorhees said.
Officer killed in wreck this month
Monday’s shooting of a police officer comes just days after CMPD officer Mia Goodwin was killed on Interstate 85 while at the scene of an overturned semi-truck.
At 3:39 a.m. on Dec. 22, a semi-truck “collided with a second semi-truck... causing them to strike multiple CMPD vehicles,” CMPD reported. Goodwin was killed in the collision and three other officers were injured.
The three were hospitalized and released, officials said.
Truck driver Daniel Leon Morgan, 50, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, failure to reduce speed, and felony failure to move over for stopped emergency vehicles, CMPD said.
Prior shooting by CMPD
On Dec. 18, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police shot and killed a man who “forced his way into his ex-wife’s home“ in the Ballantyne area in south Charlotte, and was stabbing her 13-year-old daughter.
The man had a knife to the girl when officers arrived, police Chief Johnny Jennings told reporters. Officers were trying to deescalate the situation” when the man, “without warning,” began stabbing the girl, he said.
The teen was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with multiple stab wounds and life-threatening injuries, police said. She is the stepdaughter of the man who police killed, CMPD said.
Staff writer Bruce Henderson contributed.
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