911 calls detail frantic scene in aftermath of SBI agent shooting teen in Apex

Apex police released 911 calls that illustrate a chaotic scene in a busy shopping center after a State Bureau of Investigation agent fatally shot a teen on Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday evening, police released six calls detailing the moments after 18-year-old Dayve Rafael Sanchez was shot and killed by SBI Agent Denzel Ward outside Academy Sports in Apex.

“There’s a shooting at Academy Sports. There’s a body on the ground,” one female caller told the dispatcher.

Callers described the gunshot victim as a young man, and various callers described him as both Black and Hispanic. All of the callers said the young man who had been shot was lying motionless on the ground.

“I think there’s one person dead on the ground,” one caller said.

“He’s not moving,” said another caller.

“The person on the ground who has been shot is completely unresponsive on the ground,” said a third caller.

As multiple calls flooded into the local dispatch, callers’ voices were noticeably shaky and upset, even though the voices were digitally altered. One caller pleaded for help to come faster as operators assured them help was on the way.

“I see three people on the ground. I see a gun. Hurry up,” the caller begged.

That caller described the alleged shooter as a man who did not flee the scene after the shooting.

“He’s literally outside with the guy behind him,” one caller said. The caller went on to describe how the suspect was holding the victim in a choking position.

Although none of the other callers mentioned the choking detail, one caller said the shooter was sitting in his car, which was decorated with American flag paraphernalia, where he remained after the shooting.

Once police arrived on the scene moments later, they located Sanchez, who had been shot. A woman, who police have not identified, was also with Sanchez. She was unharmed in the shooting.

Who was man shot in Apex?

Apex police say Sanchez and the woman were allegedly shoplifting ammunition from Academy Sports. When they left the store, they encountered Ward outside. Ward then shot Sanchez. He was taken to the hospital where he later died, police said.

Police said a firearm was found near Sanchez’s body, but they have not said why Ward shot Sanchez; whether the weapon was loaded or whether Sanchez threatened anyone.

Police Chief Jason Armstrong did not explain why the agent was at the store. Ward, 29, was on duty at the time and is now on administrative leave, according to Shannon O’Toole, special agent with the financial crime investigations unit with SBI.

Esperanza Rafael Sanchez, Dayve’s mother, questioned why the SBI agent shot her son.

“I want justice for my son,” said Dayve’s mother, who spoke with The News & Observer in a phone interview Wednesday. “He didn’t have to shoot him.”

She disputed the claims made by Apex police and said her son didn’t own firearms. She also said her son paid for the items in the store and had a digital receipt for a $32 purchase made at Academy that day.

“I track his expenses,” she said in Spanish. “I looked at his account and I know what he spends his money on.”

Rafael Sanchez said the woman who was with Davye was a friend that he had recently been spending time with. She said she had been concerned about the nature of their relationship but did not elaborate. The N&O has not been able to verify the woman’s identity and age with authorities.

Rafael Sanchez attended Southern High School in Durham until the 10th grade and was currently working to get his high school diploma, his mother said.

“I feel like our reasons to live have been taken away,” said Rafael Sanchez. “I know nothing can bring him back. He was everything to me.”

Kristen Johnson contributed to this story.

This story was originally published April 12, 2023 at 7:17 PM.