Officer-involved shooting in Kannapolis leaves one dead

Published 4:43 pm Wednesday, November 29, 2023

KANNAPOLIS — An officer-involved shooting left one man dead after police attempted to arrest him for allegedly soliciting a juvenile for sex.

According to a press release from the city of Kannapolis, officers with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and Kannapolis Police Department attempted to arrest the man around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The two departments were conducting a joint operation targeting child sex predators and internet crimes against children.

Police attempted to arrest the man at a location on Bellwood Place, where he allegedly believed he was meeting a 15-year-old female for sex. Upon the suspect entering the home, officers reportedly attempted to place him in custody. Reports indicated that he resisted arrest, leading to him allegedly drawing a weapon and firing at the officers.

Officers from both departments returned fire, killing the man. The man has not been identified to allow officials time to notify his family.

No officers were injured in the shooting.

An investigation is ongoing, and any new details will be released as soon as the investigation allows, according to the release. The incident is being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

All officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with policy for both the sheriff’s office and police department for all officer-involved shooting incidents, according to the release. Once the SBI investigation is completed, all information will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office for review.