NC police officer fired after arrest on murder charge in Gaston County
.jpg "Tape cordons off a crime scene. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke). An off duty Town of Ranlo police officer was stabbed multiple times around 2 a.m. on New Years Day. He fired his service weapon, killing the person who stabbed him, and now he is charged with murder.")
Update: Kwaku Riley Agyapon was fired from his position as a Ranlo Police Officer Jan. 10.
An off- duty Town of Ranlo police officer accused of murder was arrested and booked into the Gaston County jail on Wednesday.
Kwaku Riley Agyapon, 34, killed Juan Avalo, 33, with his service weapon at a Gaston County residence very early on New Year’s Day, police say.
Avalo, 33, was believed to have stabbed Agyapon, Ranlo town officials said.
Police characterized the violence, which they responded to at approximately 2:15 am on New Years Day, as a domestic dispute but did not provide more details.
Agyapon has been with the department since August of 2022, just over four months. Agyapon’s notice of termination was hand-delivered to the Cleveland County Jail by Town Manager Jonathan Blanton and Ranlo Chief of Police Jimmy Lunsford, town officials said.
Ranlo Police turned the investigation over to Gaston County Police and requested the assistance of the State Bureau of Investigations, town officials said in a news release.
(This is a developing story that will be updated.)
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 4:21 PM.
