Raleigh police: Tow-truck driver shot man during dispute over towed vehicle

The shooting death of a 30-year-old man in North Raleigh last week followed a dispute between a tow-truck driver and the owner of a vehicle that was being towed, according to police, who say they have not yet charged anyone in the case.

Investigators determined that the shooting victim, Taurean Whitfield Sutton of Raleigh, was upset that his vehicle was being towed shortly before 11 p.m. on Friday. Sutton entered another company’s tow truck and got into an altercation with the driver, who eventually shot him, according to a statement Raleigh police released Tuesday.

The shooting happened in the 6100 block of St. Giles Street, off Glenwood Avenue in the Pleasant Valley area.

Police have not disclosed the name of the driver. A recording of a 911 call made public Tuesday indicated that he apparently called 911 at the onset of the conflict. The driver did not speak to the emergency dispatcher, but two people can be heard arguing in the background – one cursing while the other repeated, “I understand, I understand.”

Several minutes into the nearly nine-minute audio recording, the garbled sounds of someone running away or gunshots could be heard.

“Hello? Hello,” an emergency dispatcher asked.

Police sirens could be heard arriving, followed by more footsteps and apparently someone entering the truck.

“Billy, tell the police his phone is up here,” someone says shortly before the call ends.

Sutton suffered more than one gunshot wound, said police spokeswoman Laura Hourigan. He was taken to WakeMed, where he died.

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Raleigh police: Tow-truck driver shot man during dispute over towed vehicle."