CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has released the names of an officer and a suspect involved in a shooting on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Police say Officer Justin Blum shot Marcus Shankle, 34, on West Sugar Creek Road after a "brief struggle" happened between Shankle and CMPD officers. Shankle was seen with a firearm before officers approached him, CMPD said.
Shankle received life-threatening injuries in the shooting and is still recovering in the hospital. A possession of a firearm by a felon warrant has been issued for Shankle. No officers were injured in the shooting.
In a release on Oct. 3, CMPD said officers saw Shankle with a firearm while already knowing his status as a felon.
CMPD's release stated that Shankle has an extensive criminal history, "including attempted murder and murder."
Shankle was charged with murder and attempted murder after an April 2023 shooting that left Lemuel Carr, 26, dead and another person injured. However, these charges were dismissed against Shankle for a lack of a reasonable chance of succeeding at trial, court records say.
Shankle was arrested dozens of times from 2006 to 2011 for charges in Mecklenburg County including assault, felon firearm possession, and drug-related offenses. Most of his charges were dismissed after he was sentenced to four years in federal prison for crack cocaine possession with intent to distribute.
After his release from prison in 2017, Shankle was arrested for drug and firearm-related charges in Mecklenburg County. He was sentenced to 20 more months in federal prison for violating his probation.
Blum has been with CMPD since 2015. He was placed on administrative leave after the shooting, following standard procedure.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating this shooting. CMPD's internal affairs department will conduct a separate investigation.