A police officer working off-duty at a shopping center shot and killed an unarmed man suspected of shoplifting on Tuesday, according to the Pineville Police Department.
A sergeant with the Pineville police was in uniform and his marked police car when he confronted the suspect outside of a Food Lion just after 3 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
Pineville is a bedroom community just south of Charlotte.
Police said 46-year-old Dennis Bodden “was very well known to Pineville Police as being a chronic shoplifting suspect at this Food Lion and having violent tendencies towards police and the public.”
Bodden refused to stop for the sergeant and “became physically confrontational,” police said. The sergean used a Taser on Bodden, but it didn’t stop him from trying to get away, according to a statement from police. As backup arrived, another officer used a Taser on Bodden, police said.
“With the Taser having little to no effect on Mr. Bodden, he lunged towards our sergeant and tried to grab his service weapon, ending up with the use of deadly force,” according to the police account of events.
The officers at the scene started to treat Bodden’s injuries before an ambulance arrived, according to police.
Police said Bodden had two felony warrants out for his arrest for breaking and entering and larceny from the same Food lion.
Two police officers were injured and taken to the hospital, but neither were shot.
Police said Bodden was not armed when he was shot.
The sergeant is on paid leave as police investigate the shooting. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s homicide dvision and Pineville Police’s internal affairs division are investigating.
Charles Duncan
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