Two Charlotte brothers with more than a decade of criminal history between them are now facing a combined 190 charges spanning two states, after a routine call about a suspicious vehicle on Enderly Road ended with a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer shot through the shoulder. Dionte McCracking, 28, and Jatarius McCracking, 27, were each taken into custody within the past two weeks as investigators worked to tie them to vehicle thefts, break-ins, and shootings across multiple jurisdictions.
According to a release from the City of Charlotte, the 190 total charges were accumulated across the cases, with Jatarius McCracking facing 128 charges and Dionte McCracking facing 62, split across Mecklenburg County and York County. As WCCB Charlotte reports, the brothers are described as career criminals with histories of break-ins and motor vehicle thefts dating back more than 10 years.
Officer Shot During Struggle Over a Gun
The shooting that brought national attention to the case unfolded just after midnight on September 9, when a CMPD officer responded to a suspicious vehicle call on Enderly Road. Per police reporting shared with Police1, Dionte McCracking was found wearing a mask and holding a power tool near a damaged power line when a struggle over a gun broke out; the weapon fired, sending a bullet through the officer's collar into his right shoulder and narrowly missing his neck.
Dionte McCracking is accused of shooting the officer in the shoulder and now faces charges including attempted first-degree murder and assault on an officer, along with weapons charges, according to WCCB Charlotte. He also faces charges tied to several shootings in August, including allegedly firing into a Charlotte resident's home and two vehicles, damaging a home's glass door with gunfire in the process, per the same outlet's reporting.
SWAT Standoff Forces Evacuations in Steele Creek
Dionte McCracking was taken into custody after an hours-long SWAT standoff, the City of Charlotte says. He is now being held without bond, according to WCCB Charlotte. One unnamed resident told the outlet that neighbors remained safe throughout the ordeal.
The manhunt and investigation drew in a sweeping coalition of law enforcement resources, including CMPD's Crime Gun Suppression Team and multiple other agencies. The Enderly Road shooting involved a CMPD officer.
A Brother's Arrest Days Earlier Cracked the Case
Jatarius McCracking was arrested on September 2, according to Police1's reporting on released police records. Investigators also examined additional vehicle break-ins.
Jatarius McCracking's record stretches back over a decade: WSOC TV reported in November 2015 that he was charged as a teenager following a police chase involving a stolen SUV in northwest Charlotte.
Pretrial Release and the Habitual Felon Question
The case also raises questions about judicial bail policies and pretrial supervision for repeat offenders.
The scale of the charges also raises the possibility of North Carolina's habitual felon enhancement. Under state General Statutes covered by the Manning Law Firm, a defendant with three prior sequential felony convictions can be classified as a habitual felon, elevating any subsequent felony conviction by four sentencing classes, capped at Class C, and significantly lengthening potential prison terms.
Hoodline previously reported on the initial CMPD response on Enderly Road, and the shooting came the same week as another West Charlotte incident that sent one person to the hospital near Little Rock Road. It also followed a separate SWAT standoff earlier in September at an apartment complex on Sugar Creek. As investigators note, the 190 combined charges against the McCracking brothers remain pending allegations that will be tested in court.
