A 16-year-old is currently recovering in a hospital after being shot twice by a Durham police officer. The shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning at a car club meet-up in the parking lot of a shopping center on Hope Valley Road, asSpectrum Newsreported. The teenager, Joshua Garc a, has been charged with assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer, possession of a handgun by a minor, and resisting a public officer. These charges have been confirmed byWRAL Newsas juvenile petitions filed against Garc a.
According to a statement from Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews, tensions escalated when attendees at the car club event began throwing objects at officers. An officer left his vehicle to confront the subject throwing objects, which soon led to a brief foot pursuit. “The officer left his vehicle to confront the subject that was identified as the one throwing objects, and a brief foot pursuit ensued in the shopping center,” Chief Andrews described in a statement obtained byWRAL News. Durham police have confirmed that during this pursuit, Garc a, who was armed with a handgun, failed to comply with commands to drop the weapon and was subsequently shot by Corporal Rex McQueen. McQueen has been an 18-year veteran of the department and is currently on administrative leave.
The officer involved in the shooting, Corporal McQueen, was wearing a body camera that recorded the incident.Spectrum Newsreports that the State Bureau of Investigation is currently looking into the matter. Meanwhile, family members relay that Garc a’s vital signs are stable as he continues to recover from his injuries. Concerns have been raised by the family regarding the location of his gunshot wounds, with relatives claiming he was shot in the back although this detail has yet to be confirmed by police.
While the local community processes the event, Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams questioned the circumstances that led to the teenager’s late-night presence at the scene, hinting at broader social questions regarding youth activities and public safety. An uncle of the victim spoke toABC11 Eyewitness News, revealing that his nephew required surgery on Sunday and was due for another round on Monday. One bullet reportedly remains lodged in the teen. The incident, which took businesses and shoppers by surprise, is not the first involving the car club according to a local business employee; past meet-ups have also drawn attention in the area.
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