Charlotte Observer: CMPD Officer Shoots, Wounds Man In Northwest Charlotte

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer shot and wounded a man during an exchange of gunfire early Wednesday in northwest Charlotte. Police say the shooting happened after officers had responded to calls of a home invasion. They say the shooting victim tried running from the scene and then fired a shot at Officer Joshua Baswell. The man who was shot has not been identified, but he was taken to Carolinas Medical Center for surgery. His condition was not known Wednesday morning. It all started shortly before 12:30 a.m., when police received a call about a shooting in the 400 block of West Avenue. That is in a neighborhood off Rozzells Ferry Road, east of Toddville Road. While police were headed to the scene, they learned a breaking-and-entering also was taking place at the house. When officers arrived, they said they found four men outside the residence. Police said they began questioning the men, but one man began running. Baswell, a CMPD officer since January 2010, ran after him. Police say the fleeing man turned and fired a shot at Baswell, missing him. "The subject turned around with a handgun, and he fired a shot at our officer," Deputy Police Chief Kerr Putney told reporters. "That officer returned fire." Investigators say the man was struck twice. Putney said police are careful when responding to a situation like the one on West Avenue. "Our officers have to have a heightened level of awareness, responding to a call like this," he said. Police say they recovered a handgun -- believed to be the one used by the fleeing man -- near the shooting scene. Investigators spent much of the night canvassing the neighborhood, looking for potential witnesses. WBTV video coverage showed police removing dogs from the house. Baswell has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. That is customary police procedure. Copyright 2012 The Charlotte Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.