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PHOTOS of the scene

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A bizarre chain of events along the Brookshire Freeway ended with one suspect dead and another behind bars after a fiery collision.

Takim Skipper, 20, was killed in the incident. Shajan Marrero, 19, has been arrested and charged with robbery with Aa dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and ADW.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m. Thursday officers responded to a 911 call for an armed robbery at 1705 Eastcrest Drive.  The victim was robbed at gunpoint and pistol-whipped by two black male suspects, who fled the scene in a stolen red Ford Mustang.  Thirty minutes later, officers spotted the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it.  After the suspects refused to stop, officers began a pursuit.  They lost sight of the Mustang and due to the high rate of speed, officers ended the chase.

While continuing to canvass the area for the Mustang, officers came upon a vehicle collision in the 200 block of W. Brookshire Freeway which involved the suspect vehicle.  A plain clothed City of Gastonia Officer stopped to help the parties involved in the collision, not knowing the suspects had just been involved in a police chase. 

Then, as CMPD officers arrived, they witnessed an altercation between the suspects and a plain clothed City of Gastonia officer, resulting in the suspects carjacking that officer’s SUV.  During the carjacking shots were fired by the officer, striking the suspect.

The suspect gained control of the officer’s SUV and sped off, crashing the vehicle into an overhead highway sign post a short distance away.

Once the SUV crashed it burst into flames.  One suspect fled the scene on foot and the second suspect was pulled from the burning vehicle by CMPD officers.  The suspect who was pulled from the vehicle was pronounced dead on scene. Police identified the suspect as Takim Skipper, 20.

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The second suspect is transported to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Headquarters Uptown.

Only NewsChannel36 was there as officers took the second suspect into custody a short time later at 3113 Southwest Blvd, Apt #4, after an extensive search. Police identified the suspect as Shajan Marrero.

CMPD Homicide detectives and the HITS unit will be conducting the investigation and interviewing witnesses to determine the exact sequence of events that happened during this incident.

The exact cause of Skipper's death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Department of Transportation tells us that W. Brookshire Freeway will be closed indefinitely.  Crews will be on scene at first light to see what type of repairs will be needed to fix the post that was struck during the collision.

Expect road closure to continue until at least mid morning.