KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC (FOX 46) — A police officer in Kings Mountain suffered a gunshot wound during an exchange of gunfire with a suspect on Saturday, officials said.
Both the officer and the suspect were injured.
Officer Frank Whittington Jr. underwent surgery at a hospital in Shelby and is in recovery. He has been with the department for 13 years.
Officers responded to calls regarding a suspicious suspect around 8 p.m. reported on the back porch of someone’s residence near Downing Drive. Officer Whittington approached the suspect at a nearby country club and gunfire was exchanged. It is unclear at this time the extent of the injuries of the suspect, however, he was transported to a hospital in Gastonia where he underwent surgery.
This is the fourth officer-involved shooting in the area in recent weeks, two of which were fatal. Last Friday Mount Holly police officer Tyler Herndon was fatally shot after confronting a robbery suspect. Herndon’s funeral was held on Tuesday. Concord police officer Jason Shuping, 25, suffered a fatal gunshot wound during an incident with a suspect on Wednesday at a Sonic located near Gateway Lane and Bruton Smith Blvd.
A CMPD officer and a suspect were both injured during a shooting that occurred after an attempted robbery two weeks ago.
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