CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — People were shocked to see dozens of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police cars in a University City neighborhood Friday evening. They told QCN they don’t even see one in this area because its always quiet.
So quiet that one woman second-guessed herself when she thought she heard gunshots.
“I heard loud gunshots, about two to three,” said Shayla Alexander. “And then I also heard the helicopter sound like it was on top of my house and there were two going in rotation.”
Alexander says she was at home around 4-4:30 in the afternoon when she heard the commotion. And when she stepped outside, she couldn’t believe it.
“There were about 100 police cars,” she says. “It was about 10-plus undercover cars. So it was crazy. There is nothing that I’ve seen over here. So it’s kind of alarming.”
The quiet was interrupted after CMPD officers attempted to serve a warrant to a violent criminal at a home on Headquarters Farm Road. Chief Johnny Jennings says when they made contact with the suspect, he started shooting at them.
“There was an exchange of gunfire. At that time, we had two officers who were shot, both of them non-life-threatening injuries,” Jennings said. “The suspect is currently deceased on the scene.”
Jennings wouldn’t disclose where the officers were hit.
Authorities say there was an indication that there were people in the home at the time of the encounter.
The warrant has multiple violent criminal actions on the suspect. Jennings says the suspect was someone investigators wanted to catch for a long time.
The chief says officers were able to pinpoint the criminal through constant investigating and checks. Clearly, the man didn’t want to go back to jail, he said.
“It’s unfortunate, but some people want to respond by using deadly force. And, you know, officers are well-trained and equipped to be able to respond appropriately,” Jennings said. “You also have to look at the fact that they were forced to take the life this evening. And nobody wants to have to go through that.”
City Councilman Tariq Bokhari posted “We must get serious about repeat criminal offenders” on his Facebook page about two hours after the event. Jennings has advocated for that since he was appointed.
The shooting comes nearly 11 months after the warrant-serving shooting in the Shannon Park neighborhood that killed five, four of them law enforcement officers.
“It is something that our officers face every single day that when they’re trying to do their job and it’s unfortunate you never want this outcome,” Jennings said. “And it’s unfortunate that we’re standing here talking to you today about this.”
Jennings says with each of these situations, the department will continue to learn and be more vigilant. He’s just happy his officers will be OK.
After speaking with reporters he went to the hospital to check on his officers.
Jennings says the department will oversee the investigation since it was their officers hit.
