Crime In Charlotte, NC

Reminder: The public is invited to attend a public forum to meet and address all three candidates on Tuesday, May 13th at the Blake Hotel @ 555 S. McDowell Street. A candidate reception starts at 6 pm- immediately followed by individual candidate forums.

City Manager Curt Walton announced today that three finalists from a candidate pool of 47 applicants have been selected for consideration as the next Chief of Police for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).

The Chief of Police serves as the leader and director of CMPD, which has been recognized as a national leader and innovator in policing. The Police Chief leads a department of more than 2,100 employees, with 1,638 sworn officers and 468 civilian positions, and manages a $174 million budget. CMPD has focused efforts on making Charlotte-Mecklenburg a safer place by establishing problem-solving partnerships and expanding police services.

Finalists were recruited and selected through a comprehensive process managed by The Waters Consulting Group that included national advertising and Web site recruitment page in addition to public input into the development of a Police Chief profile; focus groups with CMPD Command Staff, community and business leaders; elected officials surveys; assessments; panel interviews and site visits.

With experience ranging from 22 years to 28 years in policing, law enforcement, administration, operations and technology, the finalists for CMPD Chief of Police are:

• Deputy Chief Jerry Sennett, Deputy Chief of CMPD: a consolidated city-county department, he is responsible for several different divisions, including Support Services and Field Services. Sennett supervises service area majors, who oversee such specialized units as the Transit Policing Unit, Special Events, Secondary Employment and the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Law Enforcement. He implemented COMPSTAT, a system for managing police operations by pinpointing locations, methods and perpetrators of crime, allowing CMPD to improve service throughout its 13 patrol districts. Sennett was promoted to Deputy Chief in 2004. He joined CMPD in 1979.
  
• Deputy Police Chief Alan Dreher, Atlanta Police Department: Dreher is responsible for the daily operations of the largest municipal law enforcement agency in the State of Georgia. Since 2002, he has managed the Criminal Investigations Division, Field Operations, Support Services, the Division of Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire and the Field Inspections Section. Prior to working in Atlanta, he served 23 years with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department where he rose to the rank of Deputy Chief, during which he was responsible for police service at Capitol Hill, The White House, and the Downtown District.
  
• Police Chief Rodney Monroe, Richmond Police Department: Since 2004, Monroe has served as Police Chief of the City of Richmond where he created a dedicated homicide unit and started the Cooperative Violence Reduction Partnership (CVRP) with prosecutorial and correctional agencies. During his tenure as Police Chief, homicides were reduced by 33 percent. He began his policing career in 1979 as a police officer with the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, rising to Assistant Chief of Police, the department’s second highest sworn rank. He also served as Chief of Police in Macon, GA for five years.

The new Chief of Police will be named before June 1, 2008.

Police have received two reports of a possible "Peeping Tom" and are urging parents and business owners to be aware of the circumstances, especially since the suspects appears to be preying on young boys.

The reports have not come from victims but from alert employees who discovered the situation. According to reports, the suspect stuffs paper towels into the kid-sized urinal in the men's bathroom of retail stores, causing kids to have to use the restroom in a stall. The stall has a hole that leads to the one next door.

The suspect is described as a Middle Eastern male, 30-35 years of age, 5'8" – 5'10", thin build, black hair, brown eyes, goatee, smoker, carries coffee cup and operating a black or dark-colored 2000 Honda Accord. Anyone with information about this individual should call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

On Friday, Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton sent City Council members a memo with several recommendations addressing the rising crime problem in Charlotte. (Read Full Memo) The information will be presented to the City Council in further detail during the City Council Meeting on Monday night.

The recommendations were developed over the last several weeks- both as part of the City budget process and to provide a more immediate response to crime issues, which include:

1. Expanding the number of electronic monitoring devices for repeat offenders.
2. Providing funding for technology improvements in the District Attorney’s Office and the Trial Court Administrator’s Office.
3. Providing additional staffing to expand the capacity of the District Attorney’s Office.
4. Expanding resources in the CMPD Crime Lab to address firearms identification workload, the backlog of latent fingerprints and the backlog of DNA analysis.
5. Expanding the number of telecommunicators in the 911 Communications Center.
6. Developing options such as a property crimes court and other Kimme Report recommendations to determine the feasibility and impact of alternative methods of expediting the prosecution of property crimes.

On Tuesday, a resident living in the Piper Glen Community came home to discover over $150,000 worth of jewelry missing. Captain Golding of the CMPD South Division sent the following information regarding the break-in.

The suspects gained entry by forcing open a door at the rear of the residence. Several factors lead police to speculate that the residence was not randomly targeted. Burglary detectives will be following up on leads provided by the victim.

· The only area of the home targeted was where jewelry was stored.
· The victim has had several contractors doing work in her house and recently hired a new cleaning service.
· The residence was left unattended for only 55 minutes before the crime was discovered.
· The alarm was not activated.
· The M. O. (method of operation) has not been seen in other burglaries.

Although burglaries in the South Division are up for the year, we experienced a 35% downward trend during the last 28 days as compared to the previous 28 days. We believe that the arrests and continued incarceration of several groups of burglars is driving this trend and we are optimistic about how these arrests will affect the year to date totals in the division.

The summaries of these significant arrests are as follows:
· As I reported in the last bulletin, we apprehended a group that we felt was responsible for the “garage door opener” burglaries. Although we have yet to connect them to similar cases, there have been no new cases with this M. O. reported.
· You may recall seeing a highly televised police pursuit involving a white pickup towing a trailer in the northern part of the county. Three suspects were arrested. These individuals are very prolific burglars in the Charlotte Metro area and are suspects in cases in the South Division and neighboring Independence Division.
· Two members of the group doing the “front door kick-in” burglaries are currently incarcerated on burglary and other charges.

Bonds on these individuals are relatively high at this time due to their lengthy criminal histories. If these individuals are released, they will receive GPS equipped ankle bracelets and be electronically monitored by our department.

Please continue to practice sound crime prevention techniques and continue to report suspicious behavior to 911. I will keep you updated with any changes. As always, thanks for your support! - Captain R. M. Golding

The following crime statistics were released by CMPD on April 22, 2008:

Following four months of a declining crime trend- both property and violent crime increased in March 2008. Compared to February, violent crime was up 11% (59 more crimes) and property crime was up 11.3% (416 more crimes) Compared to the same period last year:

• As of March 31, 2008- 20 cases were classified as homicides, compared to 19 last year.
• Robberies have increased 15.1%
• Aggravated Assaults have increased 16.8%
• Burglaries have increased 8.3%. (Residential burglaries have increased 17.8% while commercial burglaries decreased by 14%)
• Reports of vehicle thefts have increased 8.2%
• Larceny from Auto (which comprised 1/3 of all index crimes) increased 27%, while the second largest larceny category (Larceny-Other) showed a decrease this year of 4.2%
• 2,310 index cases were cleared in the first three months of 2008- almost 10% more than the cases cleared in the same three months last year
• Arrests are up 9.5% overall and 16.4% for those who have committed property crimes

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is taking a number of steps to address the increase in crime:

1. Aggressively focusing on the repeat offenders who are committing the majority of crime
   Conducting field interviews with people (Up 10% this year to date over last)
2. Increasing zone checks (Up 106% this year over last) to provide increased visibility
   Continuing focus on crime hot spots
3. Working with residents to establish neighborhood watch programs and evaluating crime prevention options with homeowners
4. Emphasizing crime prevention steps people can take to reduce larcenies from autos by not leaving items of value inside a vehicle
5. Addressing quality of life concerns that can contribute to crime (abandoned houses, lighting, trash and untended fields and yards)
6. Developing options for making cases against those who commit property crimes that will result in increased penalties (higher bonds, monitoring upon release, jail time)

CMPD LINKS:
- Overall Crime Index Report for March 2008
- Overall and Division Summary Report for March 2008
- 2007 Year-End Report -- Overall and Division Summary
- 2007 Crime and Safety Report
- CMPD Crime Statistics Archive

UPDATED: Around 10:00 this morning, two CMPD Officers responded to a residence on Statesville Road after receiving a 911 call about an occupied suspicious vehicle. The Officers approached the vehicle and found 29-year old Jason Earnest Chappell sitting inside.

According to CMPD, Officer Jackson was on the passenger side of the vehicle and Officer Rahal approached the driver's side of the car. The Officers instructed Chappell to place his folded knife on the passenger side seat and he complied.

As Officer Jackson opened the passenger door to retrieve the knife and Chappell started the vehicle, put the car in reverse and immediately accelerated. Officer Jackson was trapped in between the door and the vehicle while the vehicle was in motion. Officer Jackson commanded Chappell to stop and when he failed to comply, he fired his service weapon once- striking Chappell.

Medic transported Chappell to the hospital and he is currently listed in stable condition. CMPD Homicide detectives have obtained a warrant for the arrest of Jason Chappell for Assault With A Deadly Weapon on a Law Enforcement Officer. The warrant will be served when Mr. Chappell is released from the hospital.

Prior to this incident, Chappell had four outstanding Orders for Arrest in Mecklenburg County and numerous warrants from Cabarrus County.

UPDATE: Police have named the two suspects they arrested in relation to the garage door thefts at the Providence Country Club neighborhood. Javario Miller (Top Photo) and Jovan McLaughlin (Bottom Photo) are charged with felony breaking and entering, breaking/entering a motor vehicle and two counts of larceny.

Police are still looking for the third suspect. He is described as a young black male, 6 feet tall with and athletic build and short to medium length hair. He last seen wearing a red shirt and jeans.

The following information was sent from Captain Golding of the CMPD South Division:

At approximately 1:30 pm, a burglary occurred on Providence Country Club Drive. The burglars first broke into the resident's SUV which was parked at Providence Country Club. The burglars took the garage door opener and some bills from the vehicle.

The suspects were able to get the victim's address from one of the bills and went to the victim's residence and used the victim's garage door opener to gain entry to his house. Meanwhile, the victim had reached the first green when he noticed his dog in the yard. Since the victim had not left his dog outside, he went to check on his house. He saw the burglars’ van parked in his driveway with the engine running and he could see the burglars in his house.

The victim took the keys from the suspect's van and went back to the golf course. One of the suspects pursued the victim onto the golf course and confronted him while brandishing the flag/ pin from the green. The victim was able to fend off the suspect by wielding a golf club. There were two other suspects who left the residence.

An off-duty officer who works for Providence Country Club happened to be passing by and was able to apprehend one suspect on the scene. A second suspect was located in the Longview Community in nearby Union County. A third suspect is still on the loose. He is described as a young black male wearing a red shirt and jeans. He was six feet tall with an athletic build and had short to medium left hair.

Based on the method of operation, we are speculating that these are the same individuals that were committing the series of “garage door opener” burglaries that have been occurring over the last two weeks.

Even though these individuals were apprehended today, we are still cautioning citizens not to leave garage door openers in their cars. Many brands of garage door openers offer smaller remotes that can be attached to a key ring. Also, don’t leave documents with your home address in your car. Of course, state law requires that you have your registration with you so consider placing the registration in a place only known to you or anyone who drives your vehicle.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to help us expand this service. We currently have 1,600 subscribers. With 137,000 residents in South Division, we need to have thousands more sign up. Tell a friend or two to sign up for “notify me” at http://www.cmpd.org/

The following was written by CMPD Chief Darrel W. Stephens and sent to Charlotte citizens via govdelivery.

Community Safety in Charlotte: An Editorial Response to Charlotte Observer Article:

The editorial in yesterday’s Charlotte Observer represents another lost opportunity for the public to be responsibly informed about the impact of crime in our community and the work that is always being done to improve our sense of safety.

It was void of context, accurate facts or an acknowledgement of any of the examples of work in the hot spots that have recently appeared in its own newspaper. Moreover, the editorial’s singular focus on police as the answer belies the essential roles everyone – including the media – has in addressing crime and safety issues.

Crime has been and will continue to be a challenge for Charlotte-Mecklenburg as it is for every major city, and no group is more committed to fighting crime than the men and women who work for the CMPD.

By way of context, it is appropriate to point out that both violent and property crime have dropped each month since the peak in October and November of 2007. Violent crime was down by 7.2% in 2007, the lowest rate since 1980. While property crimes have inched up in recent years, driven largely by auto thefts and more recently, car break-ins, they are still lower than they were at any time in the previous decade.

To be sure, statistics mean little to one who has had their house burglarized or had property stolen from a car. We understand that a reduction in the violent crime rate is little comfort to the person robbed at gunpoint on the street or in a store or to someone whose family member is injured. We know last year’s reduction in the number of homicides provides no explanation for the recent, horrific murders that have occurred.

But the numbers are important for understanding the impact of crime, identifying trends, targeting resources, developing policy and gauging the results of enforcement, prevention and intervention efforts. And the stories behind the numbers are important for understanding that most violent crime is not random and many property crimes can be prevented.

The CMPD has been a leader in using analytical methods to identify “hot spots” in which there are concentrations of crime and calls for service. Contrary to what the Observer suggests, working in those areas has been a key part of our policing strategy for many years. They are "hot spots" because the problems extend well beyond what law enforcement is able to do on its own. Fortunately, the residents we work with, while understandably concerned and fearful, share our commitment to fighting crime and developing viable solutions to the range of issues that contribute to crime and disorder problems.

It is disappointing that the Observer appears not to give the public enough credit for understanding what is going on. From unsupervised juveniles, drug abuse and insufficient treatment for the mentally ill to housing code violations, overcrowded jails and an overburdened court system, the problems that underlie issues of crime require the full range of local, state and federal resources to address them effectively.

While it is common for people to have a misunderstanding about a crime or problem in the neighborhood, we work with them, provide information and help calm the fear. In fact, this kind of work is taking place in neighborhoods in every patrol division throughout the city. Recently, officers have been working diligently with residents in Dilworth, Plaza/Midwood, Farm Pond, Peachtree Hills and Windy Ridge, just to name a few. In every case, officers and residents come together to gain clearer understandings and develop plans to address the problems.

Last year, we made nearly 28,000 arrests and in the first four months of this year, we have made more than 7,500 arrests. Let’s be clear – if we could arrest our way out of the crime problem, we would have done it already. While the CMPD will continue to do everything it can to reduce crime and improve safety, creating a true sense of safety is the shared responsibility of every member of our community. - Darrel W. Stephens, Chief of Police Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

* Watch Video: WCNC's interview with Chief Stephens about repeat criminals

In the past two days, CMPD North Division Officers have arrested eight people they believe are responsible for a series of residential break-ins in the Brookshire Blvd., Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd. and Mt. Holly Rd. areas.

All of the arrests involved the North Division's Burglary Suppression team- which is a team of officers who patrol in in unmarked cars and in plain clothes to address the residential burglary issues.

The Division Captain said the key to most of CMPD's arrests for residential break-ins is a citizen's phone call and good police work. He said CMPD depends on citizens and their information.

The following information was sent via gov delivery from Captain Davis at the CMPD Independence Division:

There was a first degree burglary on Garamond Ct. (Providence Commons Community) on April 1st at approximately 3:08 a.m. Fortunately, the occupants of the home were not injured but it was the second burglary at that residence in less than a month.

There have been a total of nine residential burglaries in a half mile radius of Garamond Ct since March 1st. Our burglary detectives are working diligently to solve those crimes and patrol activities have been increased.

Suspect information: Suspect #1: B/M, 20 years old, 5’11”, light skin, small build.
Suspect #2: Unknown description - Suspect vehicle: Gold 2000 Lexus RX300 SUV; New York license plate number – 734GTD (driven by suspect #2)

Unfortunately, there has been some misinformation regarding the police response time to Garamond Ct. The call was initially received at 3:08:45 a.m. Officers were dispatched at 3:09:51 and the first officer arrived at 3:20:26. Therefore, the first officer arrived in 10 minutes and 35 second after being dispatched. Our department endeavors to respond to emergency call within 10 minutes; however, sometimes circumstances prohibit us from doing so.

There will be a community meeting at Providence Day School on Saturday, April 19th at 8:30 a.m. to discuss crime and quality of life issues. I encourage all interested community members who reside in and around the communities of Bishop’s Ridge, Hampton Leas, Kellers Glen and Providence Commons to attend.

CMPD's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) conducts fugitive recovery investigations and operations targeting the most violent offenders operating or located within the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

The unit maintains sworn status through the U.S. Marshal's Service in order to pursue individuals preying upon the citizens of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County wherever they may flee. (Click on the photo below to view VCAT's Most Wanted)

City Officials are currently in the process of looking for a new CMPD Police Chief to replace current Chief Darrel Stephens. The city of Charlotte has developed a site to describe the position and amazingly... the Charlotte City Manager is asking for public input to develop a profile for the new Chief.

Please take a moment to provide input on the characteristics and qualities you think the new police chief should possess.

The following information was sent to citizens who live in the CMPD Westover Division area:

RE: Park West Drive & Selwyn Farms Community Concerns

First, let me start by thanking everyone for continuing to bring your concerns to our attention. Over the last week or so I have received emails relating to your concerns about burglaries in your area and police response times. As the Commander of the Westover Division I share your concerns regarding criminal activity in your neighborhoods and will your address your concerns in this memorandum.

Property crimes relating to burglaries and larceny from auto continue to present great challenges for the CMPD. The Westover Division encompasses 16.5 square miles of Charlotte residential and business areas with the main corridors being South Boulevard, West Boulevard, Tyvola Road, Park Road, and Woodlawn Road.

Over the last 28 days the Westover Division has experienced a 25% increase in all property crimes with a 77% increase in residential burglaries, which translates into 23 additional burglaries from the previous 28 day period.

The trends relating to your particular neighborhoods indicate that for Selwyn Farms, over the last twelve month period there has been a total of (6) residential burglaries with (3) of those burglaries occurring within the last month. Park West Drive has had (4) residential burglaries within the last twelve month period, all of which have occurred this year.

It appears that most of the burglaries are occurring during the day when the homeowners are at work, and most involve someone forcibly entering the residence through a door or window. Again, I share your concerns regarding these incidents and I along with the officers and detectives assigned to the Westover Division are working diligently to address your concerns.

The Westover burglary detectives and I have had at length conversations with several of you as it relates to the burglary issues in your neighborhoods and these conversations have resulted in the exchange of valuable information which we believe may lead to future arrests.

In those conversations I also realized that there needs to be some clarification as to the difference between a “Robbery” and a “Burglary.”

“Robbery” is classified as a crime against person and is defined as a crime in which:
· A person commits a larceny from a person or from a person’s presence by violence or intimidation (the violence or intimidation involved can be as simple as pushing someone to the ground or the use of a firearm).

“Burglary” is classified as a property crime and is defined as a crime in which:
· A person breaks and enters without consent the dwelling house, sleeping area or any other building within the curtilage or dwelling of another with the intent to commit any felony or larceny.

I think this clarification needs to be made so that when future e-mails are sent citizens are not confusing the two. I am currently researching the police dispatch issues pertaining to the 3/11/08, burglary incident on Park West Drive where it was indicated that there was a 25 -minute delayed police response to a burglary in progress. As soon as the incident is properly researched I will provide you with an update.

We in the Westover Division appreciate your continued community concern and efforts relating to community safety and we look forward to continuing to work with you. I suggest that in the immediate future we all plan to meet and discuss these community issues and how to better address them.

I urge you to continue to be the watchful eyes of your respective neighborhoods and please don’t hesitate to continue contacting us with reports of suspicious activity or with questions. I assure you that we are working diligently to address and prevent crime not just in your neighborhoods but in all of the neighborhoods serviced by the Westover Division.

A Sergeant in the CMPD Providence Division sent the following information regarding several recent robberies from person involving females being targeted and their purses taken.

On two different occasions, women have been surprised while exiting their vehicles at their homes. In the first incident, a male suspect approached the woman as she exited her vehicle in the Stonebridge area. Another suspect waited nearby in a vehicle. The suspect was armed with a knife but did not harm the victim. A tag number was obtained but the tag did not match the car described.

In the second incident, the victim had been out shopping and was approached by the suspect as she exited her car in the Freedom Park area. She was shoved to the ground and no weapon was shown. The two suspects in both of those instances were black males driving a small red car, possibly a Toyota.

Police say they have also been informed of residents in the Stonebridge area and Myers Park observing suspicious persons that are very similar to those described above, but they have been seen in different vehicle types. One was described as a white Mercury Topaz and the other a white Buick Skylark.

In the past three days, police have responded to two other instances of women having their purses taken from them by a black male and female driving a small red, 4-door car- which may be a Toyota Tercel.

The first victim was approached and asked for directions. While standing near the car, the male grabbed her purse and the two suspects drove away. This happened in the Pinehurst Apartment Complex.

In the second instance, a male grabbed the victim’s purse while she walked down the sidewalk in the Elizabeth neighborhood. He then jumped into the suspect vehicle and sped away.

At this time, police do not have enough information to say if all of these incidents, some of these incidents, or none are related. CMPD is diligently investigating all of these incidents. As always, please call 911 whenever you observe anything suspicious.

CMPD encourages all residents to be mindful of vehicles that may travel behind them for an extended period of time, especially if they follow you down side streets and neighborhood streets that normally have little traffic.

CMPD SAFETY TIPS: If you believe there may be someone following you, do not drive down cul-de-sacs or streets with no outlet. Do not stop at your home. If you are close to a commercial establishment, such as a gas station, stop there and park as close to the entrance as possible. A place with other people around is what you’re looking for.

Another tactic would be to make a series of unlikely turns, essentially “circling the block.” If the vehicle continues to make the same series of odd turns, you can follow the suggestion above about going to a populated location and/or use a cell phone if available to call 911. If you call 911, remain on the line with the operator so we can be updated on your location.

When walking on a sidewalk or in a parking lot, always be aware of your surroundings. Hold your purse tightly. Be mindful of the deceptive tactic mentioned above of asking for directions or any attempts to lure you close to a vehicle.

At 1:15 pm, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers responded to a call for service at the Food Lion supermarket at 3024 Prosperity Church Road regarding a disturbance. Upon arrival, the officer observed an employee, 17-year old Darryl Wayne Turner, assaulting the store manager by throwing an object at him.

According to the Officer, Mr. Turner appeared to be in a highly agitated state. He refused all verbal commands and advanced towards the officer. The officer deployed his taser to get Mr. Turner under control.

Consistent with CMPD policy, when a Taser is deployed, the Charlotte Fire Department and MEDIC are called to the scene. They noticed Mr. Turner had become unresponsive and transported him to CMC University where he was pronounced deceased. As with any death investigation, the Medical Examiner will determine cause of death in this case.

As is standard procedure with an in-custody death, Homicide detectives are conducting the investigation and will present the results to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney. CMPD Internal Affairs is conducting a separate, parallel internal investigation. A Review Board, made up the officer's chain of command, Internal Affairs and an outside civilian participant from the Community Relations Committee, will review all available evidence and interview appropriate witnesses to determine whether all departmental policies were followed.

CMPD has used Conducted Energy Weapons (in this case, Tasers) since 2004 and have not had any deaths associated with its use. Last year, officers used Tasers 138 times. Officers use them to prevent, whenever possible, the escalation to the use of deadly force.

- Read Study: Tasers Safe for Police to Use

Each May, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Officers are recognized for their contributions towards improved community relations. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee is looking for outstanding officers who go beyond the call of duty to help improve our community.

The award offers citizens, neighborhoods and organizations an opportunity to recognize a special officer or team. CMPD Officers who have made outstanding contributions to the improvement of police community relations and to the goodwill of the communities they serve will be honored in ceremonies during National Law Enforcement Week in May, 2008.

To nominate an Officer, please click here for the nomination form -or- write to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee @ 600 E. Trade St., Charlotte, NC 28202. For additional information please contact the Community Relations Committee at 704-336-3056. The deadline for this year's nominations is April 1st, 2008.

UPDATE: Police have identified the armed robber and shooting victim as 52-year old Bobby Airon Dinkins. Dinkins' arrest history in Charlotte-Mecklenburg goes back to 1992 on charges including burglary, robbery and felony breaking and entering.

Shortly after 7:30 pm, a CMPD Officer exchanged gunfire with a suspected armed robber in a shopping center parking lot on South Blvd. The suspect suffered serious injuries and the Officer suffered minor injuries.

Prior to the shooting, the suspect robbed two clerks at gunpoint inside a Dollar Tree store. An assistant manager told WCNC News that two clerks inside the store were tied up during the robbery, which happened right before closing. One clerk managed to call 911 on her cell phone while the robber was out of the room.

An Officer was across the street on another call and spotted the suspect running from the store. At some point, shots were fired and the suspect was hit. Police are not saying who fired shots or what led to the gunfire.

UPDATE: Police recovered the suspect vehicle. (Ford Focus) The suspects are now possibly driving a black Ford Taurus with SC license plates.

On Tuesday afternoon, a home in the Providence Crossing area was burglarized after the suspects kicked the front door open. Police say the suspects are two black males with dreadlocks.

The suspects were driving a light gray or silver 2005 Ford Focus with NC Plate# WWZ-2705. Police detectives believe the men are the same suspects who have burglarized homes in the area since late last year.

Police say the suspects use various rented, borrowed or stolen vehicles when committing the burglaries. Police are asking area residents to call 911 immediately if you see a suspicious vehicle occupied by multiple black males with dreadlocks.

On a positive note, the CMPD South Division has seen a decrease in residential burglaries. The division has experienced a 23% reduction in residential burglaries when comparing the last four weeks (1/21-2/17) to the previous four weeks (12/24-1/20).

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