Two police officers were shot, one fatally, by a suspected carjacker Wednesday night in Concord, North Carolina.
The suspect was later shot and killed by officers, according to the Charlotte Observer. The wounded officer’s injuries are not life-threatening and they are expected to make a full recovery, police said.
The incident took place in the parking lot of a Sonic Drive-In near Charlotte Motor Speedway around 11 p.m., the Observer reports. A Concord police officer and state Alcohol Law Enforcement agent responded to the scene of a car accident around 10:18 p.m., officials said.
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
They were told by a passerby that a male subject had attempted to steal her vehicle with her inside, according to police Chief Gary Gacek. She provided a description and said the subject was located near the Sonic, Gacek said. (RELATED: Murder Suspect Reportedly Escapes Police Custody During Pit Stop At McDonalds)
Two additional Concord officers and the ALE agent arrived at the Sonic and approached a subject fitting the description, the Observer reports. The subject then pulled out a firearm and began shooting towards the officers, according to Gacek.
Two additional officers then arrived at the scene and located the subject in a nearby SUV that did not belong to him, according to Gacek. There was then an exchange of gunfire in which the subject was killed, the Chief said at his Thursday morning press conference.
The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident, and three officers have been put on administrative leave, as is standard any time there is an officer-involved shooting, according to the Observer. (RELATED: Truck Driver Who Plowed Into 20 Cyclists, Killed 5 Charged With DUI)
Concord Police tell the Daily Caller that the identity of the shooter will be released shortly, and more details will become available as the investigation proceeds. Another officer was killed just days earlier in nearby Gaston County. The suspect in that incident is in custody and has been charged, according to the Observer.