Youth ‘attempting to steal vehicle’ grazed by bullet as citizen intervenes, CMPD says

A person attempting to thwart a car theft fired one shot into the vehicle, grazing a juvenile behind the wheel, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say.

It happened about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the 100 block of Southwold Drive, police said in a news release. The neighborhood of single family homes is southwest of the intersection of South Tryon Street and Billy Graham Boulevard.

“Officers ... responded to an assault with a deadly weapon with injury call for service, regarding a suspect attempting to steal a vehicle, with a person shot,” CMPD said.

“The preliminary investigation indicates a juvenile was attempting to steal a vehicle when a citizen intervened in the theft, and fired one shot into the vehicle. The juvenile sustained a non-life threatening graze wound from the gunshot.”

Medic ambulance took the juvenile to a hospital for treatment, officials said.

The identity of the person who fired the shot has not been released, and police did not report charges were fired.

An investigation is underway, including CMPD’s Crimes Against Children Unit, police said.

The incident marks the second time this week that juveniles have been accused of car theft in Charlotte.

On Jan. 16, two juveniles ages 14 and 15 took a car with a 4-year-old child seated in it, CMPD says. The teens were arrested after crashing the vehicle 45 minutes later, near the intersection of North Graham Street and Rumple Road, police said.

This story was originally published January 19, 2023 at 7:23 AM.