CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A source confirmed to Channel 9 more information regarding the deadly officer-involved shooting that happened Monday at a Burger King on Beatties Ford Road in north Charlotte.
There have been several different narratives surrounding what may have happened, which has caused controversy, protests and a school walkout.
>> Download the WSOCTV news app for your smartphone and get updates on this developing story as they come in.
While Danquirs Franklin has had ups and downs in his life, the last couple of months have been difficult. A source told Channel 9 crime reporter Glenn Counts that prior to the shooting, Franklin was dealing with some personal challenges.
[MORE: CMPD releases names of officer, armed man in deadly confrontation]
He was taken to Behavioral Health Services where he was hospitalized for several days, the source told Counts. He'd been released just a few days before his death.
['Stop killing us': CMS students protest deadly officer-involved shooting]
Franklin and his longtime girlfriend were in the process of breaking up, the source said. Franklin went to the Burger King to confront her and her new boyfriend, who are both employees at the restaurant, according to the source.
“He's got a gun. He's got a gun,” a panicked caller told a 911 dispatcher.
Witnesses said Franklin attacked the new boyfriend, the source told Counts. Employees said he was waving a gun around in a threatening manner, according to police.
Officers spotted and confronted Franklin outside the restaurant. When they arrived, police said they gave numerous commands for him to drop his weapon, but he did not.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney is inviting the public to join him Thursday night for a conversation about the role officers play in the community. The discussion starts at 6:30 p.m. at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Beatties Ford Road and runs until 8:30 p.m.
The source told Counts that is not the only reason CMPD Officer Wende Kerl fired the fatal shot. There was a civilian who was very close to Franklin who was also in immediate danger, so retreating was not an option.
Police said they are looking at surveillance footage and body camera video as they continue to investigate.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:
- Arrest made more than 5 years after sleeping pregnant teen shot, killed
- South Carolina fifth-grader dies days after school fight; classmate suspended
- Charlotte Diocese chancellor steps down after 'credible' allegation of sexual misconduct
- Man shot, killed by officer had confrontation with employees, source says
- Restaurant president apologizes to men kicked out of Charlotte eatery
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
