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Man dead after officer-involved shooting in west Charlotte identified

By Mark Becker, wsoctv.com
By Mark Becker, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dozens of officers descended on a west Charlotte apartment complex early Tuesday morning after authorities said a man fired shots at police.

Officials said initially that a call for shots fired was reported around 5 a.m. near Forestbrook Drive and Glen Haven Apartments Drive.

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Channel 9 reporter Angela Hong could see dozens of officers, including SWAT members, heading into the Glen Haven Apartments around 6 a.m.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney told Channel 9 that when officers first arrived at the complex they saw a man come out onto a second-floor balcony and begin shooting into the parking lot.

When officers addressed the man he began firing at them, according to Putney.

Police identified the man as Carlton Antonio Murphy, 33. After firing shots, he retreated back into his apartment.

CMPD said during the course of the investigation, evidence indicates that more than 30 shots were fired by Murphy. Police said Officer Jacob Meadors returned fire.

SWAT members were called to the scene as police surrounded the unit, and when they went into the apartment, they found the shooter dead.

It was still unclear if he was shot by a bullet fired from police or if he had shot himself.

Putney said nobody else was hurt in the incident.

"Our officers did a fantastic job," Putney said. " They were heroes today and they probably saved lives."

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A neighbor who lives next door to the suspect told Channel 9 that around 1 a.m. the gunman started banging on her door, making threats and firing shots into her apartment.

Fire crews said they had been called to that location to assist police, and MEDIC said they had not transported anyone from the scene.

Channel 9 spoke with employees at the Exxon station nearby who said they had heard gunshots since around 1 a.m.

They said Queen City Drive was briefly closed near Mulberry Church Road. Police were telling anyone who lives in the area to stay inside and stay clear of the scene.

Guests at the Quality Inn across the street from the apartments had been calling the front desk complaining about hearing gunshots, according to the hotel's manager.

CATS has sent two buses to the scene in case residents were evacuated and needed to stay warm.

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Hours later, some residents of the Glen Haven Apartments told Channel 9 that they were stranded in their homes, because their cars were a part of the crime scene.

"Our cars were stuck in the crime scene tape, and we couldn't go anywhere," said Taylor Lawson, an apartment resident. "It's scary to think about it. It changes your whole morning."

A resident who only wanted to identify himself as M.C. said that he tried leaving his apartment around 5 a.m., but police stopped him.

"I just came outside, and police rushed me back inside," he said. "I was told there was a lot of shooting going on. I heard a lot of shots. It was over 20 or 30. I wasn't sure if it was fireworks or whatever."

Murphy’s fatal confrontation with police began after he frantically knocked on his neighbor’s door early Tuesday morning.

“Around 5 a.m. he came to knock on our door the way cops knock on the door – ‘Bang, bang, bang, bang,’” Grace Owusu told Eyewitness News.

She said she had known Murphy for three or four years and didn’t think he was a violent person until he threatened them through the door.

“’Come out. I'm going to shoot you guys. Are you scared? Come out.’” Owusu recalled Murphy shouting.

When the shooting started, she told her sisters to lie on the floor.

“Like a few seconds later, we heard a bullet come through our door and it just came in our room,” Owusu said.

She said she later took the family into a bathroom where they huddled until officers came in and told them it was safe.

Per department protocol, Meadors has been placed on paid Administrative Leave pending the outcome of the shooting investigation. Meadors has been employed with CMPD since Oct. 18, 2010, and is currently assigned to the Freedom Division.

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