CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is investigating an officer-involved shooting near Uptown, which Chopper 9 SkyZoom saw Thursday afternoon.
Police confirmed that this officer-involved shooting happened in connection with another shooting that Channel 9 reported on.
The incident began shortly after 4 p.m. when officers responded to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon and shots fired.
“I’m a bit shaken up,” said a witness who was present during the shooting and did not want her face shown.
As police responded to the initial shooting, they discovered two victims who were immediately taken to the hospital.
Tragically, one of the victims died from their injuries, while the other remains in critical condition.
During the chaos, the suspect forcibly entered a nearby home, kidnapped a woman, and stole her vehicle. This led to a high-speed chase as officers pursued the suspect.
Witness Maddie Woodie described the scene, “He was driving up freedom like towards 85 and then watched all of that happen and then he turned around cause within the next 30 seconds they were chasing him back down freedom.”
The pursuit ended when the suspect crashed the vehicle at Freedom and Moorhead. The kidnapped woman managed to escape unharmed, but the suspect continued to flee on foot while firing at officers.
Chief Johnny Jennings of the CMPD stated, “As he approached officers on Moorhead, he pointed a firearm at those officers and those officers then returned fire striking the suspect, the suspect is deceased on the scene.”
The motive behind the initial shooting remains unclear, and investigators are working to determine any connection between the suspect and the victims.
Fortunately, no officers were injured during the incident. Chief Jennings praised the officers for their bravery, stating, “I can’t say enough about the officers and what they put themselves in danger to do to help protect others and our citizens.”
A firearm was recovered at the scene, and representatives from various agencies, including CMPD’s Homicide Unit and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, responded to the incident.
The SBI is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, while CMPD is handling the investigation of the other related incidents.
The officers involved in this incident have been placed on paid administrative leave.
We’re working on getting more details. Stay on top of this story by checking back for updates, or watch Eyewitness News tonight.
(VIDEO: ‘Take it seriously’: Mother worried for family’s safety amid Uptown violence)
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