By Keith Upchurch
Herald-Sun
DURHAM, N.C. — Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez was fired at while driving his police car, but not hit, during an exchange of gunfire Thursday afternoon between two other vehicles downtown. A gunman in one of the vehicles aimed straight at Lopez and fired, police said, but hit Lopez’s windshield instead.
An occupant in one of the vehicles -- described as a van or sport utility vehicle -- fired a shot and wounded a man in the other car. He was transported by ambulance to Duke University Hospital. There was no word on his condition Thursday evening.
“I wasn’t hit,” Lopez said during a brief cell phone interview from the scene. “My car was. They missed me.”
The drama began shortly before 2 p.m. after Lopez left a meeting at the Durham County Jail. As his unmarked police car came to the intersection of South Roxboro and Dillard streets a few blocks from the jail, the car and van were approaching northbound on Roxboro.
Lopez thought he heard a car backfire, “and as he was looking around, the vehicles approached and he observed an occupant from the van shooting at the [other] car,” Durham police Cpl. Martin Walkowe said.
As one of the vehicles turned onto Dillard Street, an occupant fired a shot at Lopez.
“As he passed by the chief’s car, he acknowledged that the chief was there, shot directly at the chief, and the bullet struck the passenger’s side windshield of the chief’s patrol vehicle,” Walkowe said.
Although Lopez’s car was unmarked, Walkowe said most people would have known it was a police car.
“Based on the style of the car and way [Lopez] was dressed in his white uniform, it would have been obvious that it was a law enforcement vehicle,” he said.
Walkowe said Lopez was alone in his car, and just one bullet hit it.
Police said they are unsure what motivated the gunfire. They were searching Thursday evening for the van that escaped. The other car and Lopez’s cruiser remained at the scene Thursday evening as investigators gathered evidence.
Walkowe said he wasn’t sure how many total shots were fired. No charges had been filed Thursday evening.
Anyone with information is asking to call CrimeStoppers at 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felonies. Callers never have to identify themselves.
Copyright 2010 Herald-Sun