CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers are being hailed as heroes, credited with saving a 12-year-old’s life.
CMPD said just before 10 p.m. Tuesday evening someone shot into an apartment in the 1700 block of Eastcrest Drive in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood. Police said the boy was sitting on his bed listening to music when he was struck by the bullet.
“We have no way to know if this was the intended home or if this was some type of stray bullet,” said Rob Tufano, Spokesperson for CMPD.
Either way, Tufano called the shooting reckless, adding two adults and three other children ages eight, 13 and 14 were in the home.
“Not only is he shot in the arm, but strikes an artery. This kid is coming down the steps as he’s losing consciousness because he’s bleeding out,” Tufano said. That’s when two CMPD officers arrived.
“Officers Chad Henderson and Michael Summerfield. They get out there, spring right into action as this kid is losing consciousness rapidly, pull out a tourniquet, applied a tourniquet to this young man. And you know what they saved this kid’s life,” he said.
CMPD said the boy was rushed to the hospital and is expected to be okay. No arrests have been made.
This past December, two other children, ages nine and 11, were injured in a similar incident. Police said they were asleep in their west Charlotte home when bullets came through the window, striking them both. They survived, but no arrests have been made in that case either.
According to CMPD, there have been 98 shootings into occupied dwellings in 2018, compared to 130 for all of 2017.
CMPD and Crime Stoppers are offering cash rewards to anyone who can give them information that leads to an arrest in either case. Tips can be made anonymously by calling 911 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or visit the website.