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Armed man upset with neighbors shot by officers in east Charlotte, police say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police shot a man holding a gun outside a home Saturday morning in east Charlotte, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

Police said 30-year-old Bobby Morgan reported that he had a gun and was upset with his neighbors just before 8:30 a.m. on Winfield Drive.

[IMAGES: Charlotte man injured in officer-involved shooting]

Morgan’s mother told Channel 9 her son is mentally ill and called police because he needed help.

“Bobby (has schizoaffective disorder), bipolar (disorder and) ADHD,” Felicia Morgan said.

(Bobby Morgan)

She said the neighbors have been bullying him.

“They’ve been giving him some problems, bullying him, so he called the police to ask for help,” Felicia Morgan said.

Officers said they heard shots being fired from inside the home before Morgan barricaded himself inside.

As police set up a perimeter outside the home, Morgan stepped out of the home with his weapon.

Police said despite several verbal commands, Morgan refused to drop the gun, and officers shot him.

“We engaged with him. We were talking to him. He retreated back into the residence and started firing rounds,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said. “Our officers stepped back. He continued to fire rounds. They perceived imminent threat, obviously, and returned fire.”

Police said Morgan was detained and then taken to the hospital.

Felicia Morgan said her son was shot twice and several other bullets went into the home.

Putney said this isn't the first time officers had an encounter at the home.

“We’ve been at this residence before,” Putney said. “Our officers are aware of the person they’ve encountered and were trying to establish rapport, just weren’t successful at it.”

Felicia Morgan said she’s done everything in her power to make sure her son would not be able to legally get his hands on a weapon.

“If he had a gun in his possession, it was from somebody in the street that was eager to sell,” Felicia Morgan said.

Felicia Morgan said she wants to see officers’ body camera footage as soon as it’s available.

“I want to see that be released,” she said.

The Internal Affairs Bureau will conduct a separate but parallel investigation to determine whether policies and procedures were met, according to police.

Joshua Skipper, Edward Gonzalez and Derek Rud, the officers involved in the shooting, have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol.

This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with wsoctv.com for more information. 

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