Twenty-seven-year-old Marques Ramon Brown of Whiteville has been charged with first-degree murder Wednesday after being arrested following Tuesday's shooting.
It happened on North Fayetteville Road in Lumberton around 11 a.m. at a Shell gas station and Dairy Queen restaurant near Interstate 95 as Officer Jeremiah Goodson, who was off-duty at the time, attempted to take Brown -- who was wanted on warrants -- into custody.
He called for backup and, when another officer arrived, they started towards Brown's car to make an arrest. However, Brown allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot Goodson several times in the chest. He died a short time later at the hospital.
Brown was arrested at the scene, but later moved to the Cumberland County Jail for his protection, according to authorities.
On Wednesday morning, Brown returned to Robeson County to make his first court appearance, where a judge ordered him to be held without bond.
A small army of lawmen from the Lumberton Police Department packed the courtroom, while Brown sat in a video booth inside the Robeson County Detention Center.
"We had that call that nobody wants to hear ... officer down," Lumberton Police Officer Sgt. Don Ward recalled from Tuesday's incident. "Everybody proceeded that way. Of course we learned it was one of our fellow officers."
Ward worked with Goodson. He and fellow officers said Goodson meant a lot to the department and made a tremendous difference in the community.
Goodson had been with the police department since 2006. Police Chief Michael McNeill said Goodson worked with the department's gang unit and was a school resource officer at Lumberton Senior High School.
McNeill said Goodson's wife was taken to the hospital after hearing about the shooting. She is pregnant with the couple's second child and is due any day now. She has since been released from the hospital and is at home with family, but did not give birth.
Meantime, Lumberton police have established a bank account to help the Goodson's widow pay for his funeral and other expenses.
Donations can be made at any branch of the State Employees Credit Union. The account is under Lametria Goodson's name.
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