LENOIR, N.C. — A man is in critical condition after he was shot by police in Lenoir, North Carolina, Monday afternoon, police said.
The Lenoir Police Department was called a report of an armed person along Morganton Boulevard, near the intersection of Harper Avenue and Southwest Boulevard a few minutes before 1 p.m. Two undercover officers and one uniformed patrol officers got to the area and attempted to speak with the person. Officers said the suspect's actions were an "imminent threat" and all three officers fired their weapons.
The suspect, identified as Joshua Alan Kirby, 25, was taken to Atrium Health's Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Kirby is listed in critical condition. One of the undercover officers was taken to Caldwell Memorial Hospital after suffering a graze wound. The officer has since been released from the hospital.
The officers involved in the shooting were identified as Patrol Sgt. James Moore, and detectives Landon Annas and Zachary Wickline. Moore joined the force in 1994, with Annas and Wickline being hired in 2014 and 2015, respectively. All three officers are on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.
The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident at this time. The Lenoir Police Department's Professional Standards Team is conducting a separate but parallel investigation into the officers' actions in reference to department policies and procedures.
