Cars on fire, Molotov cocktails, a knife. Police radio describes events as they shoot man

The man fatally shot by Raleigh police Saturday outside the Raleigh Police Southeast District Station was seen setting patrol cars on fire, preparing and throwing Molotov cocktails at officers and carrying a knife in his pocket, according to radio traffic recordings released Monday.

“I got a subject throwing stuff at me,” an officer is heard in the audio released Monday by the Raleigh Police Department. “He set the car on fire.”

The calls, which together last about five-and-a-half minutes, describe the events that led up to the fatal shooting and its aftermath.

Four Raleigh Police officers shot and killed the male suspect outside the Raleigh Police Southeast District Station around 1:20 p.m.

Police have not identified the man who was shot nor the four officers who shot him. A news release Monday repeated details Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson told reporters Saturday night. It also seeks witnesses who can provide audio or video footage from Saturday to the State Bureau of Investigation, who is investigating the shooting. An SBI investigation is standard following an officer shooting.

“The identities of those involved will be provided in a written report outlining the RPD’s initial findings, which will be provided to the city manager within five business days,” the department said in a release.

How incident begins

In the radio traffic between officers and dispatchers, an officer calls for a fire engine to come to the police station at 2800 Rock Quarry Road where a patrol car is on fire. He immediately follows with information about a man, described as a “Black male, about 20 years old,” who is seen setting the car on fire and begins throwing “stuff” at the officers and “objects” at the patrol car.

The events escalate as the officer says the man starts throwing gasoline and then “feces and urine” on a patrol car.

A police car and a personal car are seen in flames, according to the radio traffic.

Then, an officer said the man starts making a Molotov cocktail.

“Get me as many units as possible. Shut down Rock Quarry (road),” the officer said.

Officers commanded the man to stop throwing the items, Patterson said. A Molotov cocktail typically describes a glass container with a fuse that contain flammable liquid.

“We’ve got several vehicles on fire,” said one officer. Police requested for all traffic to be stopped during the confrontation.

An officer then reports that he sees a knife in the man’s pocket.

4 officers fire at man

Police officers shot the man after he threw “incendiary weapons” near the officers and one came within close proximity to an officer, Patterson said Saturday.

Police requested for EMS to be dispatched to the scene after the shooting. He was taken away from the fire and officers began CPR, according to the radio traffic.

Four gunshot wounds were described by police: one on his ear, two in the lower abdomen and one on his leg, all on the right side.

Officers were not injured, according to Raleigh police and radio traffic.

All four officers who responded to the incident were wearing body cameras that were activated. Security cameras at the police station also captured footage of the shooting, Patterson said. The Raleigh Police Department will seek a court petition to release the video footage.

People with information on the shooting should contact the SBI by calling the SBI’s Capital District office at 984-204-2760 during business hours or by calling 1-800-334-3000 after business hours.

The Raleigh Police Department also will conduct an internal investigation, which is standard procedure, Patterson said.

This was the sixth law enforcement officer shooting in Raleigh and Durham this year with five of them fatal. In January, police officers fatally shot Daniel Turcios on the side of Interstate 440 following a crash. Police said he would not drop a knife and lunged at officers who were trying to subdue him after he was tased by one of the officers.

Last week, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told The News & Observer that she has the SBI’s report on Turcios’s death and expects to have a decision on any charges by the end of May, The N&O reported.

This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 6:15 PM.

Anna Roman

The News & Observer

919-829-4807

Anna Roman is a service journalism reporter for the News & Observer. She has previously covered city government, crime and business for newspapers across North Carolina and received many North Carolina Press Association awards, including first place for investigative reporting.