A North Carolina police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shoutout late Wednesday night. The suspect attempted to hijack a woman’s vehicle then opened fire on responding officers. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer shot and killed in Concord
The incident began around 10:18pm on Wednesday night in Concord North Carolina. Police responded to the scene of an accident near the Sonic restaurant on Bruton Smith Boulevard. At the scene, a citizen told police that a man had just attempted to steal her vehicle.
Police tracked the suspect down to the Sonic parking lot and attempted to take him into custody. The suspect pulled out a gun and began firing at police. Officers returned fire and a wild shootout ensued, sending terrified bystanders running for cover.
One cop was fatally shot and died at the scene. A second was wounded by gunfire but stayed in the fight. More police arrived at the scene to see one officer down and the wounded officer standing over him for cover. Officers located the suspect attempting to flee in a stolen SUV and a second gun battle erupted in the parking lot. Thankfully, no more officers were hit. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
1/3 With a heavy heart, we confirm that two Concord Police Officers were involved in an incident resulting in the tragic loss of a CPD officer. The second officer was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/h10AGgpDRN
— Concord, NC Police (@ConcordNCPolice) December 17, 2020
North Carolina police shooting
This story is still developing. Police have not yet released the names of the officers who were killed and wounded, nor have they released any information regarding the identity of the gunman. Chief Gacek said the three officers who were involved in the incident and survived have been placed on paid administrative leave while the shootings are investigated, as is protocol for all officer involved shootings. The injured officer was transported to the hospital and is expected to survive.
This is the first Concord police officer to be killed in the line of duty. However, it is the second North Carolina police officer to be killed in the past week. On December 11, Mount Holly Police Officer Tyler Herndon was killed during a shootout with an armed robbery suspect.
