Man dies in custody at hospital after gunshots reported at a Charlotte home, police say
A 32-year-old suspect died while in custody at a hospital following reports of shots fired into a north Charlotte home early Monday, police said.
Officers found shell casings outside a home in the 300 block of Featherstone Drive around 2 a.m., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said in news release. A round hit the front of the home.
Information from residents nearby led police to Jovontay Avery Williams, who was behind another home and behaving in an “erratic manner,” according to CMPD. Williams was yelling, and he did not appear “in full control of his faculties,” police said in a series of tweets.
Williams attempted to enter another home before officers took him into custody using a “soft, empty hands” approach, police said.
Medic took Williams to Atrium Hospital University in “life-threatening condition,” but he was later transferred to Northeast Medical Center. He died at 9:56 a.m., CMPD said.
Police did not give a cause of death nor details about any possible injuries.
“During officers’ initial response, we located a handgun, unattended, in close proximity to one of the caller’s homes,” CMPD Lt. Bryan Crum said.
The home had been shot into, and there were cartridge casings or casings from a gun at the scene, he said.
Crum said “suspected narcotics” were found close to Williams.
Because Williams was in custody, the State Bureau of Investigation will investigate his death, police said. A CMPD Internal Affairs investigation will review the actions of the officers during the incident, Crum said. A criminal investigation for the reported gunshots is underway, the department said.
A public records search shows Williams lived in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and has previous addresses in Gastonia, Charlotte and Kings Mountain.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 3:29 PM.
