Newly released CMPD video shows officer returning fire at armed 14-year-old

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer fired his weapon more than a dozen times after being shot by a 14-year-old suspect during an encounter last year, according to video from the officer’s body-worn camera released on Wednesday.

The officer, Elliott Whitley, was wounded in the shoulder. The teenager was not struck, police said.

CMPD released the video after an unidentified “media station” petitioned the court system. Under state law, only a judge can make a video public.

Around 7:20 a.m. on Dec. 27, 2021, a 911 caller told the dispatcher someone had pointed a pistol at them and tried to steal their car, according to a separate CMPD video explaining the shooting.

Video from Whitley’s bodycam shows him getting out of his police cruiser at the Woodland Estates apartments in the 6100 block of Winged Elm Court, south of Albemarle Road. He immediately yells at the suspect to get on the ground, the video shows.

“Let me see your hands,” Whitley says.

The suspect flees on foot, and Whitley pursues, with his gun in hand, the video shows. Whitley continues to order the suspect to “get on the ground.”

Less than a minute into the encounter, the suspect turns and shoots Whitley at close range then flees. Whitley fires three times as he falls, but his weapon jams.

After clearing his gun, Whitley fires 13 more times at the fleeing suspect, who is now several feet away, in between an apartment building and a fence, the video shows.

Whitley uses his radio to report his injury and that he fired his weapon.

The video shows the teen running into other officers who had circled around the apartment building.

“The suspect continued to run with the weapon towards a heavily populated apartment complex as well as in the direction of other responding officers who were able to take the suspect into custody,” CMPD said in a news release.

The teen remains in custody, CMPD said.

The teen cannot be named by state law because they are under 18. The teen has “an extensive felony history” including charges in 46 criminal cases dating back as far as 2014, according to CMPD.

Whitley was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after an officer fires their weapon.

An internal investigation determined Whitley was justified in his actions due to the deadly threat posed by the suspect, CMPD said in the release.

The bullet that struck Whitley was lodged deeply in his arm that doctors decided not to remove it to avoid further harm, Lt. Stephen Fischbach said in a CMPD video. The bullet remains in Whitley’s arm to this day.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 5:21 PM.

Kallie Cox

The Charlotte Observer

Kallie Cox covers public safety for The Charlotte Observer. They grew up in Springfield, Illinois and attended school at SIU Carbondale. They reported on police accountability and LGBTQ immigration barriers for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. And, they previously worked at The Southern Illinoisan before moving to Charlotte. Support my work with a digital subscription