Man shot by Raleigh police officer was holding modified BB gun, report says
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man shot by Raleigh police on Sunday was holding a modified BB gun that made it difficult to tell what sort of weapon it was, according to the five-day report released by officials Friday.
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The shooting at Quail Ridge Apartments off Falls of Neuse Road happened just after 9 a.m. after Raleigh Fire Department was sent there for a medical call.
The gun was an Airsoft gun that shoots plastic BBs but looks and feels like the real thing.
Those guns come with an orange plastic tip. That tip was missing, making the gun look even more real.
Whenever an officer fires his gun, it triggers a requirement for a report to be sent to the city manager within five days.
Read the full 5-day report here (.pdf)
The just-released report said that when firefighters encountered the man with the medical problem, he was sitting on the floor of his apartment next to a cardboard box.
The man, Michael Anthony Hendricks Jr., told firefighters to back off or he would attack.
His roommate told the firefighters that Hendricks kept a gun in the box next to him as Hendricks was rummaging through it.
As firefighters retreated, a call came into 911 saying a military veteran at the complex was armed and having a flashback.
Raleigh police officer C.T. Melochick was the first officer on the scene.
The report said he was approached by Hendricks, who had a gun in his hand raised at shoulder level and pointed at the officer.
The officer took cover but the report said Hendricks refused his commands to drop the weapon.
The officer fired one shot hitting Hendricks in the abdomen.
Hendricks was said to be alert and conscious when he was taken to WakeMed, where he is recovering.
Investigators collecting evidence soon realized Hendricks' gun was not a real firearm, according to the report.
Officer Melochick was wearing a body cam.
The report said his dash cam and the dash cam of a second officer also captured the shooting.
Police said they have petitioned a judge to allow them to release those videos.
