Salisbury Police: Davidson County man claimed he was new hire, shot at officers

Published 6:48 pm Tuesday, March 1, 2022

SALISBURY — A Davidson County man faces a series of criminal charges after he claimed to be a newly hired police officer on Monday, was told to leave and returned Tuesday to shoot at officers gathering for a morning briefing.

Bruce Richard Godwin, 32, was charged Tuesday with three counts of felony discharging a weapon into occupied property and five counts of felony assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm. He was arrested at his house in Davidson County with help from the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team.

A Salisbury Police news release said Godwin approached a Salisbury Police officer around 6 p.m. Monday in the department’s parking garage to say he was recently hired and wanted to obtain some of his equipment. A news release said the officer didn’t recognize Godwin and told him to leave.

At 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, Godwin returned and parking in a lot beside the Salisbury Police Department. He waited for about 30 minutes until officers arrived for a morning shift briefing, a news release said.

He is accused of firing four rounds from a handgun toward the garage when several officers arrived. One round struck a ventilation vent and entered the garage.

Godwin left the area in an unknown direction before officers realized what happened, a news release said. He was identified as the shooter with help from surveillance video.

Godwin was booked into the Rowan County Detention Center with a $100,000 bond.