CHARLOTTE — The man accused of shooting a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer earlier this week is facing nearly 200 criminal charges with his brother, the department announced Friday.
It comes after a series of investigations into numerous violent crimes and property crimes across Charlotte this summer.
Jatarius Damond McCracking, 27 and Dionte Antonio McCracking, 28, were charged after multi-agency investigations linked them to vehicle thefts, break-ins and multiple shootings across the region since July 27.
Dionte McCracking is charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer was shot in the shoulder during an investigation on Enderly Road on Wednesday.
The officer was taken to a local hospital in stable condition and is expected to recover completely.
Dionte was arrested later that afternoon following a standoff, while his brother, Jatarius McCracking, was taken into custody on Sept. 2 on stolen firearm and vehicle theft charges.
Officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call on Wednesday on Enderly Road. A caller reported two suspects involved in suspected copper wire theft. According to court details reported by Channel 9, an officer encountered a masked suspect holding a power tool near a damaged power line. During a struggle, Dionte produced a handgun and shot the officer in the right shoulder. The round passed through the officer’s collar, narrowly missing his neck.
Detectives tracked Dionte an apartment complex on Kings Ridge Drive. After barricading himself inside for several hours, he was taken into custody by SWAT and K-9 officers.
Prosecutors stated that investigators recovered three shell casings at the scene and later found a 9mm handgun at a residence on Coronet Way, which a witness identified as the weapon used in the shooting. Dionte is being held without bond on charges including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm and firearm possession by a felon, alongside $150,000 bonds for separate burglary cases.
According to Channel 9 crime reporter Hunter Sáenz, jail records indicate Dionte McCracking called his brother after being jailed and stated he put a police officer in the hospital.
Court records show he was also wanted in connection with Aug. 14 burglaries at Drivetime Used Cars and Dutch Miller Kia on South Boulevard, where keys and vehicles were stolen. In total, Dionte McCracking faces 62 charges since July 27, including shooting into an occupied dwelling and felony conspiracy.
His brother, Jatarius, was previously arrested on Sept. 2 after Crime Gun Suppression Team detectives located him at a residence in the 3000 block of Queen City Drive. Police said he ran from officers before being caught. Officers seized a stolen handgun and work gloves matching several vehicle break-ins during a search of the property and a stolen car.
Jatarius faces 128 charges dating back to July 27, including possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, vehicle theft and probation violations. At the time of his arrest, he was on post-release supervision for a prior conviction of shooting into an occupied dwelling.
“Removing career criminals like these from our streets is vitally important work and one of my top priorities,” CMPD Chief Estella Patterson said. “The Crime Gun Suppression Team, which we established in 2021 to combat rising gun violence in the Charlotte area, has once again demonstrated the highest level of proactive and collaborative policing. While the McCracking brothers’ offenses are heavily property‐crime focused, we know how quickly such actions can escalate to violence—as they did in this case with the attempted murder of one of our officers. I am incredibly proud of the diligent investigative work displayed throughout this case, from identifying habitual felons to connecting evidence across multiple jurisdictions. Teamwork always wins and our community is safer today because of the dedication of our investigators and our state and federal partners.”
This is a developing story and we’re working on getting more details. Watch Eyewitness News and check back on WSOCTV.com for the latest.
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