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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
Calling Sgt. Mickey Hutchens a hero, the third officer involved in the fatal shooting of two Winston-Salem police officers was emotional as he confirmed that the detailed account of events provided during a media briefing Tuesday morning jived with what he experienced.
Police Chief Scott Cunningham identified Officer Kaleb Matthews, a recent transfer from the Lexington Police Department, as the third officer who chased suspect Monte Evans from the Bojangles on Peters Creek Parkway and around several buildings before the chase ended with the fatal shooting of Hutchens and wounding of Officer Daniel Clark in a nearby ravine.
"Any one person that would lay their life down for you is a hero," Matthews said, fighting tears.
According to a detailed timeline of events provided by police, Matthews, 28, was riding along with Clark as part of his lateral-entry training on the morning of Oct. 7 when a "panic" call came from the Bojangles. At the time, Clark and Matthews were at the Parkway Ford Body Shop next door to the restaurant, getting some minor work done on Clark's patrol car.
The two police investigations into the shooting of two officers being conducted by the Winston-Salem Police Department are nearly complete, Cunningham said, although the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation is still in progress.
Using a diagram of the area along Peters Creek Parkway where the events took place and a timeline of events constructed from 911 calls and radio transmissions, the police department made the case that the officers involved acted appropriately and did everything they could to prevent the outcome.
"There is nothing we see that could change the outcome" except for the intent of Evans, Cunningham said.
When asked by a reporter about opportunities for the officers to find out Evans had a gun, Cunningham said there were none. In interviews after the shootings, witnesses said they saw Evans reaching for his waist band as he neared the ravine and one witness said he saw the handle of a gun in the waist band.
The police response began at 10:16 a.m. when Sally Evans, an employee of Bojangles, called police to report her ex-husband, Monte Evans, was inside the restaurant creating a disturbance, police said. Sally Evans told police her ex-husband was wanted on outstanding from approximately 10 days ago.
When asked if the suspect was currently armed, Sally Evans told police he had been armed in the past but she didn't see a gun or knife on him at the time.
Between 10:16 and 10:26 a.m., police confirmed the claim that there were outstanding warrants against Monte Evans, and at 10:28 a.m., a corporal was dispatched in a "routine response."
At 10:30, another Bojangles employee called police to report Monte Evans harassing his ex-wife, and at 10:31, the store's panic alarm was activated and the alarm company notified police.
The corporal already en route to the Bojangles got on the radio and advised dispatch that he was likely responding to the same incident already, police said, at which point Hutchens checked in and said he was on his way to provide backup.
Clark and Matthews, who realized they were nearby, canceled the body work on Clark's car and drove to the Bojangles next door, where they made contact with an employee at the drive-through window who verified that Monte Evans was causing a disturbance, police said.
As the two officers entered the restaurant through a side door, Evans exited from the other side and began walking toward Precision Tune Autocare next door.
Ignoring commands by the officers to stop, Evans continued walking, dropped a backpack at the corner of Precision and began running toward Alpha Commercial Printing.
Clark and Matthews gave chase, with Matthews getting ahead of Clark as Evans rounded Alpha Commercial. At this point, Clark doubled back in an effort to cut off Evans.
As Evans headed back toward Bojangles, Clark moved ahead of Matthews in the chase and shouted "Taser, Taser," to get Evans to stop running, which he didn't.
As Evans passed by the Bojangles on his way toward the ravine, at 10:35 a.m., Hutchens arrived in his car, got out and followed him on foot down the embankment, police said.
Shortly thereafter, Evans turned and opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon, firing three rounds and striking Hutchens in the face, police said. Hutchens was immediately incapacitated and could not return fire.
Clark was hit twice -- one bullet striking his bulletproof vest above his heart and the other bullet hitting him in the right -- before drawing his gun and shooting six times at Evans. Evans was hit in the chest, head and shoulder before collapsing face-down in the vegetation on the embankment.
According to Cunningham, the exchange of fire took place at a distance of about three to five feet.
Matthews secured Evans' weapon and Clark crawled up the embankment before collapsing in a grassy area near the Bojangles parking lot. Matthews then radioed dispatch to notify them that two officers and a suspect were down.
Medical personnel declared Evans dead at the scene and separate ambulances took the two injured officers to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Hutchens died from his injuries in the hospital several days later.
Clark is expected to return to duty as soon as his doctor approves it, Cunningham said, noting that Matthews has already returned to full duty.
"It continues to be scary," said Matthews during the briefing. "It's scary every day, but that's what we signed up for."
Police Chief Scott Cunningham identified Officer Kaleb Matthews, a recent transfer from the Lexington Police Department, as the third officer who chased suspect Monte Evans from the Bojangles on Peters Creek Parkway and around several buildings before the chase ended with the fatal shooting of Hutchens and wounding of Officer Daniel Clark in a nearby ravine.
"Any one person that would lay their life down for you is a hero," Matthews said, fighting tears.
According to a detailed timeline of events provided by police, Matthews, 28, was riding along with Clark as part of his lateral-entry training on the morning of Oct. 7 when a "panic" call came from the Bojangles. At the time, Clark and Matthews were at the Parkway Ford Body Shop next door to the restaurant, getting some minor work done on Clark's patrol car.
The two police investigations into the shooting of two officers being conducted by the Winston-Salem Police Department are nearly complete, Cunningham said, although the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation is still in progress.
Using a diagram of the area along Peters Creek Parkway where the events took place and a timeline of events constructed from 911 calls and radio transmissions, the police department made the case that the officers involved acted appropriately and did everything they could to prevent the outcome.
"There is nothing we see that could change the outcome" except for the intent of Evans, Cunningham said.
When asked by a reporter about opportunities for the officers to find out Evans had a gun, Cunningham said there were none. In interviews after the shootings, witnesses said they saw Evans reaching for his waist band as he neared the ravine and one witness said he saw the handle of a gun in the waist band.
The police response began at 10:16 a.m. when Sally Evans, an employee of Bojangles, called police to report her ex-husband, Monte Evans, was inside the restaurant creating a disturbance, police said. Sally Evans told police her ex-husband was wanted on outstanding from approximately 10 days ago.
When asked if the suspect was currently armed, Sally Evans told police he had been armed in the past but she didn't see a gun or knife on him at the time.
Between 10:16 and 10:26 a.m., police confirmed the claim that there were outstanding warrants against Monte Evans, and at 10:28 a.m., a corporal was dispatched in a "routine response."
At 10:30, another Bojangles employee called police to report Monte Evans harassing his ex-wife, and at 10:31, the store's panic alarm was activated and the alarm company notified police.
The corporal already en route to the Bojangles got on the radio and advised dispatch that he was likely responding to the same incident already, police said, at which point Hutchens checked in and said he was on his way to provide backup.
Clark and Matthews, who realized they were nearby, canceled the body work on Clark's car and drove to the Bojangles next door, where they made contact with an employee at the drive-through window who verified that Monte Evans was causing a disturbance, police said.
As the two officers entered the restaurant through a side door, Evans exited from the other side and began walking toward Precision Tune Autocare next door.
Ignoring commands by the officers to stop, Evans continued walking, dropped a backpack at the corner of Precision and began running toward Alpha Commercial Printing.
Clark and Matthews gave chase, with Matthews getting ahead of Clark as Evans rounded Alpha Commercial. At this point, Clark doubled back in an effort to cut off Evans.
As Evans headed back toward Bojangles, Clark moved ahead of Matthews in the chase and shouted "Taser, Taser," to get Evans to stop running, which he didn't.
As Evans passed by the Bojangles on his way toward the ravine, at 10:35 a.m., Hutchens arrived in his car, got out and followed him on foot down the embankment, police said.
Shortly thereafter, Evans turned and opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon, firing three rounds and striking Hutchens in the face, police said. Hutchens was immediately incapacitated and could not return fire.
Clark was hit twice -- one bullet striking his bulletproof vest above his heart and the other bullet hitting him in the right -- before drawing his gun and shooting six times at Evans. Evans was hit in the chest, head and shoulder before collapsing face-down in the vegetation on the embankment.
According to Cunningham, the exchange of fire took place at a distance of about three to five feet.
Matthews secured Evans' weapon and Clark crawled up the embankment before collapsing in a grassy area near the Bojangles parking lot. Matthews then radioed dispatch to notify them that two officers and a suspect were down.
Medical personnel declared Evans dead at the scene and separate ambulances took the two injured officers to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Hutchens died from his injuries in the hospital several days later.
Clark is expected to return to duty as soon as his doctor approves it, Cunningham said, noting that Matthews has already returned to full duty.
"It continues to be scary," said Matthews during the briefing. "It's scary every day, but that's what we signed up for."
