Gaston County man charged with attempted murder, kidnapping after firing at officers
.jpg "A Gaston County man faces several charges after police say he fired at three of them.")
A Gaston County man is facing charges after he fired at officers as he attempted to flee a crime scene Sunday afternoon, police said.
Gaston County police were first called to the 4000 block of Stoney Oaks Drive in southwest Gaston County late Sunday morning concerning an abandoned vehicle left on the property, according to a news release.
Officers found a silver Lincoln Town Car on a private road that appeared to be wrecked and stuck down a slight embankment, according to the release. Officers recovered a loaded assault rifle from the vehicle and towed the car off the property.
Officers responded to a second call around 3:23 p.m. in the same area after a person reported hearing gunshots and seeing a suspicious person. They conducted a search of the property, but no one was located.
Around 4:30 p.m., officers responded to a third call in the area after a person reported that his father was being held at gunpoint by an unknown subject in a garage in their home, WSOC reported.
A police K9 team was used to track the suspect after he fled on foot, police said. The K9 team located a second assault rifle and bag hidden a short distance away from where the Lincoln Town Car was found earlier that day.
When the K9 unit alerted officers of an abandoned car in the area, the suspect fired multiple times at three officers. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect.
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Matthew Curtis Buford of Gastonia, received immediate medical attention and was transported to CaroMont Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released to officers, police said. No officers were injured during the incident.
Buford has been charged with four counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree kidnapping, assault by pointing a gun, assault on a law enforcement K9 and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Body camera footage will not be released until the Gaston County District Attorney’s Office and State Bureau of Investigations have been consulted, police said.
Anyone with information on the investigation can contact Detective J.P. Brienza at 704-866-3320. Information can also be reported through Crimestoppers at 704-861-8000.
This story was originally published September 5, 2022 at 5:57 PM.
