Concord police officer shoots, kills car thief suspect following an altercation

A Concord police officer shot and killed a car thief suspect early Sunday following a physical confrontation, authorities said.

Around 5 a.m., an officer on routine patrol discovered a man attempting to steal a car at the Modern Nissan dealership at 967 Concord Parkway S., according to a news release from the Concord Police Department.

The officer told the suspect multiple times to stop what he was doing, but the suspect refused, police said. The two then got into a physical confrontation, according to police.

Shortly after, the officer shot the suspect with their department-issued handgun; the man was taken to nearby Atrium Health Cabarrus, where he later died from his injuries, police said.

The officer, who was not injured, has been with the department since January 2020, Concord police said. The department has not identified the suspect or the officer.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting.

The officer has been temporarily placed on administrative duty, which follows the department’s policy on shootings by one of its cops.

Concord Police said it will not comment further about the case until after the SBI completes its investigation, and after the Cabarrus County District Attorney’s office finishes its own review of the deadly incident.

The Concord police department has 204 law enforcement officers, according to its website.