DA’s Office: CMPD Officers Justified In Deadly Officer-Involved Shooting Near Epicenter

Caryn Little, WCCB Charlotte,

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A report from the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office says two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers were justified in a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened outside the Epicenter on Friday, November 15th, 2019.

The officers shot and killed 33-year-old Treon McCoy.  Witnesses and the responding officers all say McCoy was attempting to kill another man while the two were fighting on East Trade Street near the Epicenter.

READ THE FULL 45 PAGE REPORT HERE

Update (Posted Nov, 15, 2019):

There are safety concerns in uptown Charlotte after a deadly shooting outside the Epicentre. Two men were fighting, and that led to what a witness describes as a shootout with police.

CMPD has identified the man killed as 33-year-old Treon McCoy.

Officer Kevin Lovell and Officer Shane Mathews were working off-duty in uniform and responded to a fight outside the Epicentre near South College Street and East Trade Street. Police say two people were shot, McCoy died. Medic took the other person to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

No officers were hurt. CMPD says Officers Lovell and Mathews both fired their guns.

WCCB talked to a witness who didn’t want to be identified.

“It was two guys, they were shooting at each other. Then the police came up, then it became a gunfight with them and the police,” says the witness.

It’s unclear who shot whom.

According to CMPD’s crime map, there have been 523 crimes within 500 feet of the Epicentre in the past two months. They include a homicide, dozens of assaults, larcenies, disturbing the peace, robberies and car thefts.

Steve Ship with team TruBlue thinks businesses in the Epicentre that may draw violence, like bars or clubs, should be shut down.

“Don’t think it would still be open if it was on Beatties Ford Road or Wilkinson Boulevard or Freedom Drive. I don’t think those establishments would still be open,” says Steve Ship with Team TruBlue.

Both officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure when an officer discharges his or her weapon. The SBI is handling the investigation. CMPD will conduct an internal investigation to determine if department policies were followed.

Original Story:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The SBI is investigating an officer involved shooting that happened early Friday morning near the Epicentre in Uptown.

Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were called to the area around 2 a.m. at South College and East Trade Streets.  The CMPD says two people were injured in the shooting, one person died.  The other victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No officers were hurt.

Authorities have not said what led to the shooting.  The name of the officer involved in the shooting has not been released at this time.