‘Female armed with a gun’ shot by Gastonia police during overdose call, officials say

A call to Gastonia police about someone suffering from an overdose ended with an “armed” woman being shot and seriously hurt, according to the Gastonia Police Department.

The woman was identified as 33-year-old Shae Estelle Jones, and WBTV reports she died Tuesday of her wounds. Gastonia police have not confirmed her death, however.

The incident happened about 12:15 a.m. Monday in the 1200 block of Mountain Avenue in Gastonia, officials said.

“Gastonia Police received an overdose call. ... When officers arrived they encountered a female armed with a gun inside the residence,” police said in a news release.

“An officer shot the female who has been transported to CaroMont Regional Medical Center and then airlifted to Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.”

Investigators have not said what led to the shooting, but said Jones lived at the home where officers were summoned.

Officer K. Solano-Garita was identified as the officer involved in the shooting and has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation, officials said. That is standard procedure in such cases.

“The Gastonia Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards will conduct a separate but parallel administrative investigation to determine whether department policies and procedures were followed,” officials said in a release.

Gastonia Police Chief Travis Brittain contacted the State Bureau of Investigation, which will also investigate the shooting, officials said.

This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 6:13 AM.