GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Authorities are investigating after police say a woman shot a man while he was in the back of a patrol unit Tuesday afternoon in Gaston County.
According to Cramerton police, officers responded around 12:15 p.m. to a call about a man who was armed with a gun outside the Hampton Meadows apartment complex. They believe the gun was related to a domestic situation between him and another man, WSOCTV reported.
Upon arrival, officers did not locate a firearm, but they detained the man in the back of a patrol car with the window partially rolled down.
That’s when a woman walked out from between two apartments, went over to the police car and shot him in the chest and hand. Police said the man was rushed to a hospital for surgery. He was reportedly in stable condition.
As a result, officers who were nearby but unable to intercede in time, ordered the woman to drop the weapon as they took her into custody without further incident.
Authorities did not say what charges she’d face.
“It is somewhat bold of someone to approach an individual who is being detained in a patrol car and take an opportunity to shoot them,” said Gaston County police chief Joseph Ramey.
It’s unclear what led to the shooting or if the woman and man knew each other. No names have been released.
The Gaston County Police Department is investigating what the Cramerton police officers were doing at the time of the shooting, WSOCTV reported. The news organization did not clarify jurisdictional responsibility.
No officers were injured.
