Police: Officer shoots, kills man who charged with box cutter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police said a man was shot and killed overnight by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer outside a home in south Charlotte.

Investigators said the man was charging at officers with a box cutter when they opened fire.

Police said officers were in the neighborhood when an elderly man came up to them and said he was having problems with his son. When police arrived to the house on Cooper Drive, they said Spencer Mims, 55, was on the porch holding a box cutter to his throat.

Officers said they tried to get him to put it down, and at one point even shocked him with a stun gun.

Police said that didn’t work and Mims began charging at the officers.

That’s when police said Officer Jeremy Donaldson fired at Mims. Mims was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.

Channel 9 spoke to CMPD Police Chief Rodney Monroe, who was on scene Monday morning.

“It’s still very early in the investigation.  We’re still trying to interview witnesses that were here at the scene. They are down at headquarters being interviewed,” Monroe said.

Two officers, including Donaldson, are on administrative leave while Internal Affairs investigates the shooting.

WSOC