Fayetteville police ID officer and the man he fatally shot on Murchison Road

The Fayetteville Police Department held a press conference Friday to discuss the man killed by a police officer during a traffic stop Thursday.

Demarcus Brodie, 49, of Fayetteville, was killed in the 2000 block of Murchison Road. Officer Dillion Hoke was identified as the shooter in the incident.

At 4:30 p.m. Thursday, two officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle along the 2000 block of Murchison Road. During the stop, officers attempted to detain Brodie, who resisted and began assaulting officers, Police Chief Kemberle Braden said. Officers attempted to de-escalate, Braden said, and as Brodie continued to assault the officers, Hoke discharged his weapon.

Hoke has been working for the Police Department since February 2016, according to Braden.

"Officer Hoke was taken to a local hospital and was treated for injuries resulting from this incident," Braden said. "Officer Hoke is currently on administrative leave."

Eyewitness to shooting describes the scene

D.J. Dawson, who saw the incident firsthand while visiting family members in a nearby home, said officers were unable to cuff Brodie.

"The driver was just trying to get away from them," Dawson said Friday. "He made it to the road, and that is when they took him to the ground."

More on this story: Fayetteville police officer fatally shoots motorist on Murchison Road on Thursday

Dawson said the officer was put in a difficult position.

"He had no choice but to use force," Dawson said.

A preliminary investigation revealed Brodie was the sole occupant of the vehicle and that a knife was found on the scene, Braden said.

The State Bureau of Investigation has assumed control of the investigation.

Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville police ID officer who shot and killed man on Thanksgiving