© 2024 WFAE
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Charlotte Police Give No New Details On Investigation Into Fatal Shooting By Deputy U.S. Marshal

CMPD HQ
WFAE

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department gave no updates Wednesday about the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Frankie Jennings by a deputy U.S. marshal in the city. The officer, whom CMPD would not publicly identify, shot and killed Jennings, who was Black, while attempting to serve warrants on him Tuesday at a convenience store on The Plaza in east Charlotte.

CMPD says none of its officers were present during the shooting, but the department is handling the investigation.

However, CMPD declined to answer any questions regarding specifics around the shooting, including details involving body-worn cameras or the location of a gun that was recovered from the scene.

On Tuesday, CMPD said the deputy marshal "perceived a lethal threat" before shooting Jennings and that officers later recovered a gun — but didn't specify whether Jennings was holding it at the time of the shooting.

Charges in the outstanding warrants against Jennings included assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, breaking and entering and possession of a firearm by a felon, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Capt. Joel McNelly said.

When asked to address community concerns over whether CMPD could maintain objectivity during its investigation, McNelly said that’s not an issue.

"We are going to look at every single piece of evidence; we’re going to leave nothing unturned," McNelly said. "It doesn’t matter whether it’s a homicide somewhere else involving normal citizens or a shooting incident involving a law enforcement officer. We’re going to be objective and do a comprehensive investigation."

By default, CMPD is the investigating agency because the incident occurred within its jurisdiction. CMPD said it would be up to the U.S. Marshals Office to release the name of the officer involved in the shooting.

Mourners gathered at the scene Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil. News footage showed several dozen people attending, many of whom brought flowers and balloons. They noted that Jennings was shot on his birthday.

Jennings' sister, Latannya Jennings, told the Charlotte Observer that her brother had four children and had lived in Charlotte for about 20 years. He ran a car detailing business, she said.

Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter

Select Your Email Format

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.