We Are Improving!

We hope that you'll find our new look appealing and the site easier to navigate than before. Please pardon any 404's that you may see, we're trying to tidy those up!  Should you find yourself on a 404 page please use the search feature in the navigation bar.  

User Rating: 5 / 5

Star ActiveStar ActiveStar ActiveStar ActiveStar Active
 

Roanoke Rapids City Manager Joseph Scherer said this afternoon he is “confident that Chief (Bobby) Martin acted in accordance with all the department policies” when he shot a man following a chase this morning.

Martin has been placed on administrative paid leave until the preliminary investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is complete, Scherer said during a press briefing at Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall.

Patrol Captain Charles Vaught is acting chief and Criminal Investigation Division Captain Jamie Hardy is assistant chief while the investigation continues.

The officer-involved shooting occurred at the intersection of Hinson and South Monroe streets, Scherer said. It occurred around 8:45. 

Hinson Street had been closed throughout the investigation, but is now open, the police department reported via social media.

Scherer said one person was injured when Martin shot him. “This person’s injuries are non-life threatening and (his) medical condition is stable at this time. Since this is an active criminal investigation, we are unable to release the person’s name at this time.”

It was not clear where on his body the person was shot or how many times.

Scherer said the person Martin and other officers were chasing had outstanding warrants, although it was not immediately known what the warrants were for.

It is not clear where the chase began, although an Active 911 alert noted a chase eastbound on Tenth Street around the same timeframe.

The man who was shot was in the vehicle by himself and it’s not believed the person had any ties to the Hinson Street area. It was unclear whether the person shot was in or out of the vehicle.

Scherer said he was unaware if the chief was threatened by the person or whether he was armed. “That’s going to be part of the ongoing investigation. Those details may come out once the investigation is completed.”

The SBI has not given the city a timeframe on when the investigation will be completed.

Asked how Martin was handling the situation, Scherer said, “The chief is doing very well considering the circumstances.”