Documents lay out frightening plan to lure police, first responders into ambush

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Court documents lay out a frightening plan to lure police and first responders into an ambush.

The startling information comes from search warrants returned this week after the SWAT team responded to a possible suicide attempt, but they quickly learned the man inside was the same man who had threatened to kill them months earlier.

The call came in to 911 dispatchers up on the third floor at the law enforcement center. A Charlotte man said he had stabbed himself and needed help.

The court documents show that is exactly what the same man threatened he would do months ago in an attempt to ambush police and emergency crews.

His name is Garrett Nagle, and last Wednesday he called 911 to say he had stabbed himself in the stomach and needed police and medics to respond.

Nagle's name, and story, raised a red flag and by the time emergency crews converged on his home off Little Rock Road, police said they had learned Nagle was the same armed man arrested last May after threatening to kill police.

Court documents said at that time Nagle told police he was planning a scenario in which he would call 911 and state that he had injured himself, and then create booby traps to kill or injure responding officers and first responders.

With that information in hand, it took the SWAT team two hours of negotiations to get Nagle into custody without violence.

On Tuesday, across the street from Nagle's vacant home, Thaineja Downing said he once threatened her mother and acted in other odd ways.

"He was like, barking and howling … Like a dog," said Downing.

In a search of Nagle's house, police seized brass knuckles, guns, hatchets and more than 300 knives.

Next door, Lester Williams said he had no idea and can only imagine what could have happened if police had not been forewarned.

"I do not want to say nothing about the shootings at the schools and all that, but it plays back stuff like that in your mind," said neighbor Lester Williams.

Police are not saying where Garrett Nagle is on Tuesday night, but the documents indicate Nagle was involuntarily committed.

WSOC