State investigators are looking into an officer-involved shooting that left a 35-year-old man wounded in downtown Hickory on Sunday night, after police say he approached a marked patrol car holding a knife and refused to drop it. According to Hickory Police Department, the encounter started in the parking lot of an El Paso Mexican restaurant on North Center Street. Officers say they ordered the man multiple times to drop the knife before opening fire. He was hit, taken to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, and is listed in stable condition. The confrontation continued as the man ran toward St. Luke's United Methodist Church on 16th Avenue NW before he was struck, as reported by Queen City News.
Queen City News reports that police identified the injured man as 35-year-old Robert Mitchell Lester. Officers say they repeatedly ordered Lester to drop the knife before shooting. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation conducts an independent review. Officials have not said how many officers fired their weapons or whether anyone else was injured. Investigators are asking anyone with video or information about the incident to contact Investigator Richard Helderman at (828) 261-2600, ext. 2621.
Where it happened
Police say the initial encounter unfolded in the parking lot of El Paso Mexican on North Center Street. The restaurant is listed at 1709 N Center St, according to Tripadvisor. Officers say the man then ran toward St. Luke's United Methodist Church on 16th Avenue NW; the church’s site lists its address as 52 16th Ave NW.
Both locations sit in Hickory’s Viewmont/North Center corridor, a stretch of the city lined with late-night restaurants and a steady flow of traffic.
How investigators say it unfolded
Hickory police say an officer was sitting in a marked patrol vehicle in the restaurant parking lot when Lester approached while holding a knife. According to the department, officers gave multiple commands for him to drop the weapon. They say shots were fired after he did not comply, and Lester fled on foot before being struck a short distance away.
Bystanders and officers rendered aid until EMS arrived, according to police. As part of its criminal investigation, the SBI will review body camera footage along with witness and surveillance video and will take statements from those involved.
SBI review and next steps
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is handling the case review. The agency typically compiles interviews, video, and other evidence into a completed investigative file that is then sent to the local district attorney. Prosecutors will decide whether any criminal charges related to the shooting are warranted after they receive the SBI’s findings.
What comes next
Police say Lester remains hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to face multiple charges related to the incident once he is released.
Anyone with information or video is asked to contact Investigator Richard Helderman at the number provided by police or call the non-emergency line for the Hickory Police Department at (828) 328-5551.
Authorities say more details will be released as the investigation moves forward, and we will update this story as that information becomes available.
