LENOIR, N.C. — A man is in critical condition after Lenoir officers shot him Monday afternoon on Morganton Boulevard. A uniformed officer also was grazed by a bullet. The SBI is investigating.
According to a news release, Lenoir Police received a 9-1-1 call around 12:40 p. m. concerning an armed subject. Two undercover officers and one uniformed patrol officer arrived on the scene and attempted to engage with the armed subject. During the course of the event, the responding officers interpreted the actions of the armed subject as an imminent threat and attempted to stop the threat by discharging their firearms, striking the
subject. Officers immediately administered first aid to the subject, who was airlifted to CMC Main with life-threatening injuries.
Police recovered a gun that the man possessed on the scene. One of the undercover officers sustained a graze wound during the incident. The officer was transported to Caldwell Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and has since been released.
The names of the officers and subject’s identity will be released following appropriate family
notifications.
Additional information gathered following the incident revealed that the subject had previously stolen a vehicle approximately an hour earlier from a parking lot in the 1900 block of Harper Avenue.
The SBI is the primary investigative agency for this investigation. The Lenoir Police Department will conduct a separate but parallel investigation to determine whether the officers followed department policies and procedures during the incident. The officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. This is standard procedure whenever officers discharge their service weapons.
The investigation into this case is active and ongoing.
