May 22nd, 2024 – Wilmington, North Carolina

Published May 22nd, 2024

An officer with the Wilmington, North Carolina, Police Department was shot early Wednesday morning. At approximately 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, a tactical team from the Wilmington Police Department arrived at a residence to serve a narcotics-related warrant. As the officers approached the residence and announced their presence, an individual inside the residence opened fire on the tactical team, striking one of the officers in the chest. In the exchange of gunfire an individual in the home, identified as the subject of the warrant and suspected of being the one who fired on officers, suffered what police described as “life-threatening injuries.”

The officer and the individual who were shot were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of their injuries. According to Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams, the officer who was shot in the chest was treated and released the same day for “non-serious injuries” because of the ballistic-resistant vest the officer was wearing. The resident who was shot by police is reportedly in critical condition. Chief Williams stated that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the police use of force incident per standard procedures, and the criminal investigation is ongoing.