Durham police officer shot at while driving down South Street
DURHAM (WTVD) -- There were some scary moments for a Durham police officer just before noon Wednesday after suspects fired multiple shots at him.
It happened at the intersection of South Street and Scout Drive.
The officer was not hit, but police said multiple shots were fired at the officer's vehicle. At least one did hit the vehicle.
After it happened, authorities started talking to neighbors trying to figure out who the suspects might be. Based upon what they heard it sounded as though it was no accident.
"We just heard gunshots. There was a lot of moment it just sounded like 'boom, boom, boom,' said Sierra Williams. "I just seen police everywhere."
"It appears to be a deliberate act," said Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez. "It was not by chance that they were shooting at someone else. They clearly, from what I could see, were shooting at this vehicle. Although unmarked, [it] has characteristics of being a police car, which are highly identifiable."
Investigators believe the shots were fired from an older model gray sedan with tinted windows. The vehicle was possibly a Nissan. Two black males were inside the car. They were wearing blue and black jackets. Investigators believe both men fired shots during the incident.
When asked if he thought this was an ambush, Lopez said he basically believes the suspects were trying to catch the officer off-guard. He also said that it was important to get the suspects off the street because if they were willing to shoot a police officer who knows who else they might be willing to shoot out.
Bullets also damaged houses in the area. No one was injured.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator K. Emanuel at (919) 560-4415, ext. 29306 or CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200.
CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.
