22-year veteran Greensboro police officer killed, chief says; Suspects caught after NC Blue Alert, police say
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WNCN) — A 22-year veteran Greensboro police sergeant was killed in a shooting after confronting a suspect at a gas station just outside Greensboro near Colfax Saturday afternoon, officials said. One police department said suspects were later captured in Winston-Salem following a Blue Alert across North Carolina.
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In a news conference Saturday night, the Greensboro Police Department said the officer, who was off-duty at the time, was shot around 4 p.m. at Sheetz at 3202 Sandy Ridge Road, just west of Greensboro.
The sergeant had witnessed a crime and then encountered a suspect — who shot him, Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson said at a news conference. The wounded officer was taken to a nearby hospital where he died.
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“He was a loving husband, father, son and brother,” Thompson said. “We ask for prayers for the family of the fallen officer,” he added.
Thompson, who did not identify the slain officer, said that another off-duty officer and a paramedic — who were both near the Sheetz — tried to help the wounded officer just after the shooting.
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Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan spoke out after the police news conference.
“I am angry, and I am sad. I think those are feelings that are felt throughout this department and throughout this city,” Vaughn said, adding the shooting was a “senseless act of violence.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Saturday night spoke out about the Greensboro police officer who died after the incident at the Sheetz, which is just off Interstate 40.
“Our prayers are with the Greensboro police and family and loved ones,” Cooper said in a statement.
Wake County law enforcement also spoke out about the killing.
“We send our deepest condolences to the family of the fallen officer, the Greensboro Police Department, and the community,” the Wake County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Saturday night.
At 6:10 p.m., a North Carolina Blue Alert was issued for two men in a black Chevrolet Equinox, which fled the Sheetz heading west on I-40. The alert was linked to an “assault on law enforcement,” according to the Durham Police Department.
A Blue Alert is typically issued when a law enforcement officer is killed or is seriously injured, or when a law enforcement agency determines that a suspect poses a threat to other law enforcement or the public.
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The Blue Alert was canceled about 100 minutes later at 7:50 p.m. Reports a few minutes before the cancellation said two men were captured with the Chevrolet in Winston-Salem.
North Wilkesboro police said in an 8:05 p.m. Facebook post, “Suspects are in custody for the murder of a Greensboro Police Officer tonight after being arrested in Winston-Salem. Our prayers are with the officer’s family and the Greensboro Police Department.”
Thompson did not mention any arrests in his news conference. Late Saturday night, police in Greensboro were still asking drivers to stay clear of the Sheetz along Sandy Ridge Road.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Simmons with the Greensboro Police Department at (336) 373-2287 or email ncic@greensboro-nc.gov.
— WGHP contributed to this report
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