Police say they've charged a second person with murder in connection with a deadly shooting at a south Charlotte restaurant earlier this week.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say 26-year-old Kiara Murphy acted as an accomplice to 30-year-old Eddie Doh, allegedly driving him to the Steak n’ Shake on South Boulevard, where Doh opened fire on customers and staff during an attempted robbery late Tuesday morning.
The shooting injured a customer and killed a restaurant cook, 48-year-old Darnell Harris, who witnesses say attempted to protect other employees. His younger brother, Brendan Ruffin, said Harris was always playing the role of the protetctor. Ruffin said when he saw the news about the shooting, he immediately thought of his brother, knowing what kind of person he was, he know it was likely Harris would have been protecting others.
"He would always step in fronth of me and I'm bigger than him, he's a smaller dude but he always had heroics to step in front and keep you safe," Ruffin said.
At a news conference Thursday, Police Chief Kerr Putney gave note to Harris’ sacrifice.
"We always talk about our thoughts and prayers -- that phrase is losing its impact to me," Putney said. "Yes, we are going to continue to pray for the family, but we also need to understand that it’s time to move beyond people like Mr. Harris sacrificing his life because a repeat violent offender is not being held fully accountable."
Doh has several past convictions, including assault, attempted robbery and accessory after the fact of first degree murder in the death of a teenager in Charlotte in 2011. He served just over seven years before being released in January.
The police department says both Doh and Murphy had previously acted together to rob an East Coast Wings restaurant in Northlake last week.
Doh, meanwhile, is recovering at a local hospital after being shot by Pineville police who responded to the robbery call. He's being charged with murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a stolen firearm.
Murphy faces additional charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery.
