By Ely Portillo / Charlotte Observer
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer was shot in the leg while pursuing a shooting suspect early Sunday morning. The officer also shot and seriously wounded the suspect, police say.
The chase began after police were called to 1419 West Trade Street, just west of I-77, at about 1 a.m. Sunday, to investigate a shooting.
The victim of that first shooting was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries. Their name and condition were not released.
Police say a witness at the scene told them what the suspect’s vehicle looked like. An officer spotted a car matching the description about two miles southwest of the shooting scene, at Highland Street and Marlowe Avenue, near Wilkinson Boulevard.
When the officer tried to stop the car, a man jumped out and fled, outrunning police. Officers set up a perimeter and called in search dogs and a helicopter to look for the man.
They located the man a few blocks away, between houses on Garibaldi Street. Police spokeswoman Officer Rosalyn Harrington said he had a handgun, and fired on officers.
CMPD Officer B. Harrison was hit in the right leg. He returned fire, shooting the suspect in the torso.
Harrison, who’s been with CMPD for just over two years, was taken to Presbyterian Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect joined the earlier shooting victim at Carolinas Medical Center for treatment of life-threatening injuries.
The suspect’s name hasn’t been released. Police are still investigating to make sure all of the events are connected, and Internal Affairs officers are looking into the shooting, which is standard procedure any time an officer fires their weapon.
Anyone with information is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a detective Osorio, or call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
