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A North Carolina police officer who had joined his department last year was gunned down Wednesday night outside of a fast-food restaurant during a shootout that also left an armed suspect dead and another officer wounded, officials say.
The gunfire happened Wednesday night in Concord, a city of about 79,000 residents, about 27 miles northeast of downtown Charlotte.
"Today we are mourning the loss of a beloved family member who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty late Wednesday night," the Concord Police Department said in a statement Thursday.
Officer Jason Shuping "gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty," police say. (Concord Police Department) (Concord Police Department)
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"Officer Jason Shuping served the citizens of Concord and the Concord Police Department since 2019," the department continued. "He will truly be missed by all."
"We also extend our prayers of healing to Officer Kaleb Robinson, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the same incident," police added.
The Charlotte Observer reported the shooting happened in the parking lot of a Sonic Drive-in, after a 911 call about a nearby car crash. A passing motorist told responding officers that a man who was on foot had tried to steal her vehicle at the Sonic, police said.
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Authorities said two additional Concord police officers were sent to the Sonic, where they found a man fitting the suspect's description.
"He pulled out a handgun and began shooting in direction of the officers. We believe this is when the officers sustained their injuries," Chief Gary J. Gacek said at a news conference.
Gacek said two additional officers then arrived, saw the wounded officers, and fatally shot the suspect.
Concord police did not release the identity of the suspect.
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It was the second line-of-duty death of a police officer in the Charlotte area in less than a week.
Last Friday, Mount Holly Police Officer Tyler Herndon was shot and killed during a break-in at a local car wash, WCNC reported. Herndon’s funeral was held Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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