Body Cam Footage Released In CMPD Officer-Involved Shooting That Killed Robbery Suspect Kevin Boston

Officer Body Cam Footage:

72 videos have been released by CMPD in reference to the officer-involved shooting of 45-year-old Kevin Boston. Click HERE to see all the videos.

Boston was killed after exchanging gun fire with CMPD officers on Tuckaseegee Road in June 2022. All officers involved in the shooting were cleared of any wrongdoing. See below for full details on the shooting.

Original Story (Posted: June 27, 2022):

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An armed robbery suspect, shot by police, has died in the hospital.

Investigators say CMPD officers exchanged gunfire with 45-year-old Kevin Boston shot on Sunday afternoon.

We’re now hearing from Boston’s family, as well as the latest in the investigation.

“Am I angry? Yes. I am. Am I hurt? I’m broken. I am very broken,” says Boston’s cousin, community activist Mario Black.

Black and Boston’s sister-in-law Billie say Kevin, known as “KK” was dealing with mental health issues, something they believe contributed to what happened.

Police say they were responding to a call for an armed robbery at the Food Lion on Tuckaseegee Road when they encountered Boston carrying two bags of groceries.

Body cam footage shows officers approaching Boston about the robbery. He is then seen pulling a gun from his pocket. Shots were exchanged. Boston died at the hospital.

Police tweeted a picture of a revolver found at the scene.

Family is painting a different picture of Boston, a single father of three.

“He was a family man. He loved kids. He loved people,” says Billie Black.

Boston’s cousin, saying he wishes more could be done to de-escalate the situation.

“I just feel if they were trained to be more vigilant and sensitive to the need, we potentially wouldn’t be standing right here this afternoon,” Mario Black says.

But CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings says there wasn’t time.

“I think it’s clear the dangers that our officers encounter every single day. And things that don’t necessarily get a lot of attention because we’re able to de-escalate most of them. And this is a situation where officers did not have the time,” Jennings said during a news conference at the crime scene on Sunday.

Boston’s sister-in-law hopes to meet with police to get a clearer picture of what happened.

“He was human. He was a human being, you know what I’m saying. He had kids. He had a family that genuinely loved and cared about him,” she says.

Jail records do show Boston has a lengthy criminal history, including spending nearly seven years in prison for manslaughter.

He also spent more than a year in jail on drug charges and assault on a female.