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Year in Review: Top videos in the Charlotte area for 2019

As 2019 comes to a close, we reflected on some of the videos that stood out in the Charlotte area this year.
Credit: WCNC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. —

10. CMPD identifies beloved Charlotte gas station clerk killed during armed robbery

A beloved clerk at a west Charlotte gas station was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in early June, police said. 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police were called to a Shell gas station on Freedom Drive near the intersection with Alleghany Street. Officers they found long-time employee 50-year-old Ismael Doumbia, after he'd been shot. Doumbia was rushed to a Charlotte hospital where he died from his injuries. 

Neighbors and frequent customers of the store stopped by to leave flowers and mourn his loss. The gas station owner was overcome with emotions.

Doumbia's young son, Youssef Doumbia, said his father was not only his dad but his best friend. 

"He was the person that always wanted me to succeed," Doumbia said of his father. "He never wanted to see me fail." 

RELATED: Arrest made in deadly shooting of gas station clerk in west Charlotte

RELATED: 911 call reveals frantic moments after beloved gas station clerk was robbed, murdered

9. CMPD: Robbery suspects in custody after police chase

At least one person was arrested after a northwest Charlotte robbery led to a chase that ended with a crash in north Charlotte back in March. 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said the homeowner told officers that two men came to his house and robbed power tools out of his car before driving away. 

Police said they were able to quickly locate the suspects because one was wearing an electronic monitoring device.

Officers spotted the suspects' vehicle soon after, and there was a pursuit. CMPD said the suspects had fired shots at the man during the robbery. During the pursuit, the suspects crashed into another car. One person in the other car and one of the suspects were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

RELATED: CMPD: Robbery suspects in custody after police chase

8. Fast Food Fiasco: Mom records Burger King employees fighting

A mother was going through the drive-through at Burger King to get her 6-year-old an ice cream cone back in May.

A full-on brawl was the last thing she expected to see.

She recorded a video that reportedly shows employees at the Burger King on Nations Ford Road in Charlotte throwing punches and screaming obscenities. 

RELATED: Fast food fiasco: Brawl at Charlotte Burger King caught on camera

7. Massive snake found in Gaston County

Spring brings out the bugs and critters every year in the Carolinas. But this one is stopping folks in Lowell in their tracks.

“I saw it, and as I got closer, I knew it was a giant snake,” Scott Jensen said, pointing to the brush near an old barn on the property. He estimated the snake was roughly 12 to 14 feet long.

Fearing it could get away, Jensen said instinct kicked in, and he killed the snake. Later, he posted the picture to Facebook.

RELATED: Man finds, kills giant snake on Gaston County property

6. Fire destroys multiple homes in Mooresville subdivision

A huge fire that destroyed several homes under construction in Mooresville in October was intentionally set, officials said.

According to firefighters at the scene, first responders were called to a reported fire in the Ashlyn Creek subdivision on Samara Lane. When firefighters arrived, they found multiple buildings on fire. Mooresville Fire Department said some of the homes were expected to be total losses due to the damage.

RELATED: Large fire that damaged multiple homes in Mooresville was intentionally set, officials say

5. CMPD: Stabbing suspect crashes into pole, starts house fire in east Charlotte

Police in east Charlotte said the suspect in a stabbing at a north Charlotte gas station crashed into a parked car and power pole on Eastway Drive.

The crash knocked down power lines, starting a house fire at a home next to where the crash happened. Charlotte Fire was called to the scene and a team of nearly two dozen firefighters got the fire out in about 10 minutes. Everyone in the house was able to escape without injury. 

RELATED: CMPD: Stabbing suspect crashes into parked car, sparks house fire in east Charlotte

4. Hickory man says he has video of Big Foot

A Hickory man has shared video claiming it shows an encounter with three Bigfoots in the North Carolina foothills.

He said he recorded about 10 minutes of video during the encounter; he shared a snippet of it with NBC Charlotte.

"[I was] like a giddy school kid," he said. "Just nervous, heart beating. It was crazy."

RELATED: Hickory man claims he spotted three Bigfoots

3. CMPD addresses Charlotte homicides

CMPD Chief Kerr Putney stood before city council and address the alarming rise in violent crime. As of July 7, there had been 60 homicides so far this year in Charlotte. That's compared to 58 for all of last year.

“I think we’re better than the number of 60,” Putney said. “I really do.”

Chief Putney says CMPD is increasing visibility, reviewing data, and focusing on repeat violent offenders.

“Until we get serious on those repeat violent offenders, we’re going to deal with violence as a city," Putney said.

RELATED: 'We've got to be better' | CMPD Chief Kerr Putney addresses violent crime at City Council meeting

2. Memorial grows for Mooresville officer

A Mooresville officer, 32-year-old Jordan Sheldon, was killed in the line of duty in May. Mooresville officers took a moment before, during and after their shifts to see what people wrote and left behind at his memorial.

Sheldon, a six-year-veteran with the Mooresville Police Department, was performing a routine traffic stop when at some point he was shot and killed.

RELATED: 'We're hurt, we're sad' | Mooresville community mourning the loss of K9 Officer shot and killed in the line of duty

1. Defenders: WCNC report leads to drugged drink bill

WCNC's Defenders team started investigating after reports of drinks being drugged in uptown last year. WCNC found no state law specifically addressing "date rape" in North Carolina. The investigation led to a new state law to change that.

RELATED: New bill would make it illegal to spike a drink

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