Updated 11:21 a.m.
A police officer and a suspect were killed in a shootout Wednesday night at a fast food restaurant in Concord that also injured a second officer.
The City of Concord said 25-year-old Jason Shuping was the officer killed; Officer Kaleb Robinson sustained "non-life-threatening injuries."
Concord Police say the incident started around 10:20 pm when officers responded to a report of a disabled vehicle and an attempted carjacking near the Sonic restaurant on Gateway Lane, across I-85 from Concord Mills Mall.
A short time later, two Concord officers and a state Alcohol Law Enforcement officer approached a male suspect in the parking lot. Chief Gary Gacek said at a press conference Thursday morning that the man took out a gun and shot the two officers, Shuping and Robinson.
Moments later, the man then tried to steal another vehicle, and was shot and killed by two other Concord officers. They were not injured.
Police said Shuping had 1½ years of service. The suspect has not been identified beyond saying he was a 29-year-old Charlotte man.
Gacek said the State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shootings. The three officers are on administrative leave until that's done, he said.
In a press conference aired on WBTV, Gacek offered his condolences to the officer's family.
"I hope that the public can imagine and appreciate the shock, the pain and the suffering that this family is going through right now and will continue to for a very long time," he said.
"It's tragic incidents like these that serve as a grim reminder of the fact that police officers take an oath to serve their communities and lay their lives on the line each day to protect the public." he added.
It's the second time in less than a week that a police officer has died in the line of duty in the Charlotte area. Mount Holly Police Officer Tyler Herndon, 25, was shot and killed responding to a break-in at a car wash and arcade last Friday. Police have charged 24-year-old Joshua Funk with murder in Herndon’s death. Funk’s first court appearance is Friday.
1/3 With a heavy heart, we confirm that two Concord Police Officers were involved in an incident resulting in the tragic loss of a CPD officer. The second officer was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/h10AGgpDRN
— Concord, NC Police (@ConcordNCPolice) December 17, 2020
