Teen shoots NC cop, dies in gunfight. Then cops learn he may have fled a murder scene.
A Monroe police officer was shot multiple times during an early morning pursuit Saturday, and police killed the armed teenage suspect after “an extensive manhunt,” officials said.
Hours later, Union County deputies found a man dead in a home after responding to a 911 call and connected the teen to the killing, Sheriff Eddie Cathey said.
Cathey said the teen may have believed officers were after him in connection with the homicide, but he said police didn’t know about the killing at the time.
The officer was hospitalized in stable condition, according to a Monroe Police Department statement. The department released a picture of her bullet-riddled patrol car.
Police identified the suspect as 18-year-old Joshua Hayden Sikes.
Driving on Old Charlotte Highway at 1:45 a.m., a Monroe officer saw what the police statement said was a “suspicious vehicle” near Rocky River Road. Police didn’t immediately say what made the vehicle suspicious to the officer.
“The driver took off, and the officer pursued,” according to the statement.
The chase ended four minutes later when officers put stop sticks on Goldmine Road near River Chase Drive.
“The suspect opened fire on officers, hitting a female officer multiple times,” according to the statement.
The officer was treated at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where she remained later Saturday, police said. Police didn’t immediately name the officer.
The suspect ran into thick woods, and the department’s special response team “began a manhunt” with K9s and a drone, and help from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department helicopter, police said.
Monroe police officers found the suspect at 3:52 a.m. “The suspect had a rifle and shot at the officers,” according to the statement. “The Special Response Team shot back, killing the suspect.”
“This suspect intended to kill our officer, and by the grace of God she’s alive right now,” Police Chief Rhett Bolen said in the statement. “Everyone on our team followed their training and acted decisively to stop a deadly threat.”
“We stand firmly behind their actions and are grateful that our officer will eventually be able to go home to her family,” Bolen said.
Teen suspected in earlier killing of man, 23
Investigators suspect Sikes in the earlier killing of 23-year-old Alvin Parson in a home in the 2000 block of Astoria Drive in Indian Trail, Cathey said.
Parson appeared to have died of a gunshot wound, the sheriff said.
“As detectives began their investigation into Parson’s death, evidence quickly connected Joshua Sikes to the homicide,” Cathey said, without disclosing the evidence.
Investigators believe Sikes drove from the homicide in the same vehicle that Monroe officers later pulled over, Cathey said.
“Law enforcement investigators now believe Sikes was actively evading capture for Parson’s murder when he encountered Monroe police officers, leading to the violent exchange that left one officer injured and Sikes dead,” according to the sheriff’s statement.
Sheriff’s investigators haven’t said if they know what prompted Parson’s killing. The Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation into his death.
The State Bureau of Investigation will investigate the fatal shooting, which is standard procedure when an officer shoots someone, according to the statement.
Bolen thanked local, county and state law enforcement agencies that helped in the investigation.
This story was originally published May 31, 2025 at 12:37 PM.