CMPD officer recovering after being shot in southwest Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Easter morning you could hear only the sound of birds chirping throughout a southwest Charlotte neighborhood. For those who live there, it was hard to believe it was the scene of an officer-involved shooting hours beforehand on Saturday night.

“I heard, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,” said Shannon Quinn, who lives on Honey Hill Lane. Her home was one of several on the block hit by bullets.

She told Channel 9 that just before police were dispatched to Honey Hill Lane around 9:48 p.m. for the initial shooting, she heard people arguing outside in the parking lot.

“I heard mostly men, men’s voices,” said Quinn.

During a press conference early Sunday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney broke down what happened.

“It was a dispute, apparently,” Putney said. “An acquaintance was shot by the suspect.”

Officials identified the suspect as Joshuale Carter, 25. Putney said initial investigations revealed Carter shot a man during a fight. What that fight was about remains unclear.

Investigators went on to say Carter also shot Lt. Andrew Harris as the officer responded to the call. Harris was shielded by his bulletproof vest and suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Putney said two others officers returned fire, critically injuring Carter.

“Somebody was calling us, needing our assistance,” said Putney. “The heroism of the officers responding to assist goes beyond question.”

Harris is a 24-year veteran of the department. He was released from the hospital Sunday.

CMPD identified the other responding officers as Sgt. Jonathan Steppe and Officer Jon Carroll. All three officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the result of an internal investigation, which is standard procedure.

Carter was last listed in critical condition. He’s facing a list of charges, including three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, two counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious, assault inflicting serious bodily injury on a law enforcement officer, second-degree kidnapping, assault on a female and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

“The shot on the driver's side is straight at your abdomen,” said Ryan O’Leary as he pointed to half-a-dozen bullet holes in his wife’s car.

He said Carter and his wife moved in about one year ago and he had never seen him being violent.

“I had no idea. He was well-spoken when I spoke to him. He was always polite and well-spoken,” O’Leary said.

Now O’Leary doesn’t feel safe in his own home.

“We've already contacted the management company and we've talked to them about breaking the lease. I mean, it's always been a quiet neighborhood which is the shocking thing about all of this.”

Update Sunday 1:00 p.m. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer is recovering after being shot Saturday night in southwest Charlotte, officials said.

A man opened fire at CMPD officers and Charlotte Fire Department officials when they responded just before 10 p.m. to townhomes in the 12000 block of Honey Hill Lane, CMPD Chief Kerr Putney said during a press conference early Sunday morning.

CMPD Lt. Andrew Harris, one of the first officers on the scene, was shot in the abdomen during the exchange, officials said.

He was transported to Carolinas Medical Center and taken into surgery.

Officers returned fire and hit the accused shooter, Joshulae Matthews-Vincent Carter, 25. Carter has life-threatening injuries and was also taken to CMC. He remained in critical condition Sunday morning.

When Carter is released, officials said he will be charged with three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, two counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious, assault inflicting serious bodily injury on a law enforcement officer, 2nd degree kidnapping, assault on a female and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Police said Carter also shot an acquaintance during the exchange. That person has non-life-threatening injuries.

Putney said Harris' vest worked correctly and that he is alert and talking to his family after surgery.

Dozens of officers lined the streets near Bennington Place and CMPD brought in a mobile command post after the shooting.

The other officers involved in the shooting have been identified as Sergeant Jonathan Steppe and Officer Jon Carroll. Harris, Steppe and Carroll have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure with any officer-involved shooting.

Harris has worked with CMPD since December 1992, Steppe since August 2008 and Officer Carroll since February 2015.

Anyone with any information is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a homicide unit detective or call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

We will continue updating this story as soon as new information becomes available.  

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