A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer was shot while responding to a call in west Charlotte early Wednesday morning, and the suspect was taken into custody after an hours-long standoff.
Channel 9 heard reports of a shooting on Enderly Road between Freedom Drive and Tuckaseegee Road just after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Police say it started as a suspicious vehicle call, involving two suspects. Investigators later uncovered that vehicle had recently been stolen.
When an unnamed officer arrived on scene, police say the suspect fired their weapon, striking the officer, and fled. The officer did not return fire. The injured officer was rushed to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Dilworth and is currently in stable condition.
Multiple police scenes across Charlotte
Officers cleared from the scene at Enderly Road just around 10 a.m., but by then, Channel 9 learned of a large police operation happening in south Charlotte.
Channel 9’s Hannah Goetz saw SWAT officers getting gear and rifles to surround an apartment complex near Old Pineville Road and East Arrowood Road.
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Two sources told Channel 9 that the officers were working to arrest the suspect in connection with the earlier shooting.
SWAT officers were heard giving commands to the suspect on a loudspeaker, trying to get him to come out of the apartment building along Kings Ridge Road. Just before noon, an officer used a flash bang grenade in an attempt to get the suspect into custody.
Around the same time, Channel 9 spotted another crew of police officers on a street in west Charlotte that was near the Enderly Road scene. Investigators were looking for evidence at a house on Coronet Way. We’re asking CMPD if this scene is connected to the shooting investigation.
Both of those police scenes were still active just after 12 p.m., and the CMPD bomb squad arrived at about 12:45 p.m.
By 3 p.m., Channel 9 crews started seeing operations wind down. An hour later, we would get confirmation from CMPD Chief Estella Patterson that a suspect was taken into custody.
Shooting suspect identified
Patterson said the suspect in the officer-involved shooting was identified as 28-year-old Dionte Antonio McCracking.
McCracking was taken into custody after the standoff at the apartment complex. Patterson said he was arrested without incident, and he’s facing charges of attempted murder on a law enforcement officer, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Patterson said McCracking also has outstanding warrants for burglary charges, and Channel 9 found multiple past arrests in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties.
According to Patterson, two other persons of interest were detained in connection with the case. They haven’t been identified yet.
Patterson decried the violence against officers, saying: “If you choose to use violence against a Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department law enforcement professional, we will hold you accountable and charge you to the fullest extent of the law. Our message is simple. Attacks on our officers will be met with swift and decisive action.”
CMPD is the lead investigating agency in this case. The department says its Internal Affairs Bureau will conduct a separate investigation, which is normal for any officer-involved shooting.
Patterson said the officer is expected to make a full recovery.
‘Who was next door?’
Lakeisha Howie, a resident who lives next door to the apartment where McCracken was apprehended, said she remained inside her home for hours during the police operation.
She recalled hearing officers shouting commands without initially realizing the suspect in the officer shooting was right next door.
“I didn’t know I was going to be involved in a hostage standoff with the police,” Howie said.
Howie said she checked news reports on her phone while police were outside her unit.
“When I went on my WSOC app, I seen that the police had been shot and it said, for real, it said the police had been shot,” Howie said. “So, you know something is going on, but I still didn’t think that’s who was next door.”
Following the arrest, Howie commended the officers for taking McCracken into custody safely
“I don’t think it could have gone any smoother,” Howie said. “Charlotte-Mecklenburg should be the poster child for how people handle suspects.”
This is a breaking news story. Check back with wsoctv.com and tune in to Eyewitness News for updates.
