A Pineville police officer fatally shot a person in a parking lot altercation outside Tavern 51, a bar located along Pineville-Matthews Road, Pineville Police Chief Michael Hudgins confirmed. The incident, which unfolded on Saturday afternoon, led to the death of an unidentified suspect after police responded to a 911 call regarding a person with a weapon making threats inside the bar. QC News reports the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an internal investigation.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers were directed by a citizen to the suspect in the parking lot. According to a statement from the Pineville Police Department, the officer issued 13 verbal commands to the suspect, which were not complied with. WBTV cited Chief Hudgins stating that the suspect then advanced towards the officer and made a sudden gesture perceived as an imminent threat, prompting the officer to discharge his weapon.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) has taken over the criminal investigation per policy. This inquiry into the shooting will run concurrently with a separate internal investigation by the Pineville Police Department to review body camera footage and department policies. Chief Hudgins mentioned that it’s not known if the suspect displayed the weapon while still inside the bar, as detailed by WCNC Charlotte.
Witnesses had reported through 9-1-1 that the suspect may have had two additional firearms on them. After an the shooting, the responding officer immediately rendered first aid to the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital from the injuries sustained. This incident occurs roughly eight months after another officer-involved shooting in Pineville, which raised questions and concerns over police use-of-force practices.
