The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting after officers encountered the armed man near South Main Street.
KANNAPOLIS, NC — Kannapolis police shot and killed an armed man Friday after officers responding to a report of gunfire said they encountered him trying to carjack a vehicle at a busy intersection, according to city officials.
Police received a 911 call at about 11:40 a.m. Aug. 14 reporting a man firing a gun on South Main Street near Bell Street. As officers approached the area, they saw a man holding a gun and attempting to carjack a vehicle at South Main Street and Bethpage Road, the city said. Officers shot the man during the encounter.
The man was taken to Atrium Health Cabarrus, where he later died from his injuries, according to the city. Police said no officers were injured. Authorities did not identify the man in their initial public statement, and officials had not publicly explained all of the circumstances that led officers to open fire.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was called to assist with the case, following the procedure announced by Kannapolis officials after the shooting. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave while the police department conducts an internal review. City officials described the leave as standard protocol following such an incident.
A witness who owns a coffee shop near South Main Street and Bethpage Road told WSOC-TV that she saw the man move between vehicles during the attempted carjacking. She said one driver’s doors were locked and the vehicle moved away. According to her account, officers arrived moments later and ordered the man to stop before several gunshots were heard. Police had not publicly provided a detailed sequence of the shooting that independently confirmed every part of the witness account.
Another nearby resident told the station that the disturbance was unusual for the area. The shooting brought a large police response and disrupted traffic along South Main Street as investigators worked at the scene. Authorities initially closed South Main Street between Dale Earnhardt Boulevard and Rankin Street while evidence was being collected.
The city’s initial account did not say whether the man fired at officers, pointed the gun at them or fired during the attempted carjacking. It also did not state how many officers fired their weapons or how many shots were fired. Those details remained among the unanswered questions as investigators reviewed the encounter.
The case involves two reviews announced by officials: an SBI investigation into the shooting and an internal Kannapolis Police Department review of the officers’ actions. Officials had not announced findings from either review in the initial reports. The identity of the man and the names of the officers involved also had not been released in the materials reviewed.
Authorities have said the incident began with a report of a man firing a gun and escalated when responding officers encountered an armed man they said was attempting to take a vehicle. Further details about what happened immediately before the police gunfire are expected to depend on the continuing investigation and any additional records or evidence released by authorities.
Author note: Last updated August 16, 2026.