– Deadly officer-involved shooting near uptown Charlotte
– Officer-involved shooting near uptown Charlotte justified.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — District Attorney Spencer Merriweather and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday that a deadly officer-involved shooting near uptown Charlotte last year has been deemed justified.
The incident took place on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, when officers responded to reports of a man shooting a gun in the air near Frazier Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Officer Braylen Brown was among the officers who arrived at the scene and encountered the suspect, later identified as Nickolas Lopez.
Officer Brown instructed Lopez to put down the gun, but Lopez reportedly reached into a bag he was carrying. Perceiving a deadly threat, Officer Brown fired his service weapon three times, resulting in Lopez’s death. A loaded gun was recovered from the scene by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
Following an external investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), interviews, review of body camera footage, and an autopsy report, the DA’s Office concluded that Officer Brown’s actions were justified in the shooting.
The Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office stated that there is no evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Brown did not act in self-defense or in defense of others. The body-worn camera footage, Officer Brown’s statement, and the physical evidence at the scene support the belief that Officer Brown acted reasonably in perceiving an imminent threat to himself and the public, leading to the fatal shooting of Nickolas Demar Lopez. As a result, no criminal charges will be pursued in connection with Lopez’s death.
Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office
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– deadly officer-involved shooting
– officer-involved shooting near uptown Charlotte justified.
