CONCORD, N.C. — A Kannapolis firefighter is on paid administrative leave after police said he was involved in a deadly confrontation in Concord Thursday night.
Officers were called to a neighborhood off South Union Street after neighbors reported hearing a gunshot around 10 p.m.
PHOTOS: Police investigating shooting death in Concord
Investigators said officers found David Pittarelli, 33, of Charlotte, lying in the street near his car with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers said they spoke with Ryan Cochran, 22, of Concord, at the scene.
He told officers Pittarelli had been following the truck he and his girlfriend were riding in for several miles, officers said.
Cochran said he finally turned into a nearby neighborhood and stopped his vehicle. Investigators said that's when the two men got into a fight and Pittarelli was fatally shot.
Ryan Cochran said the killing was in self-defense, according to our partners at The Independent Tribune.
Investigators haven't been able to answer what would have been Pittarelli's motive in pursuing Cochran in his vehicle.
Investigators said they didn’t believe the two men knew one another prior to this incident.
Channel 9 spoke with Pittarelli's father, who said he still has many unanswered questions.
"Just not knowing and not having all of the facts and trying to understand why," David Pittarelli Sr. said over the phone from his home in New York. "I was very close to my son. Part of me feels like it's missing."
Pittarelli Sr. said his son also left behind his mother, brother and a 5-year-old son who also lives in the Charlotte area. He said he finds comfort in knowing his son was strong in his faith.
"That's the only thing I have to hold on to right now," said Pittarelli Sr.
Cochran hasn't been charged with any crime.
Investigators said they plan to meet with the district attorney who will determine if any charges will be filed.
Channel 9 will continue to follow this investigation as it develops.
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