911 Calls: Raleigh Police Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting Related to Attempted Carjacking

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Donna-maria Harris | 919.996.1200 | donna-maria.harris@raleighnc.gov
Laura Hourigan | 919.996.1219 | laura.hourigan@raleighnc.gov

911 calls concerning this incident are available in the attached links below. As required by NCGS 132-1.4, information has been redacted from the calls and the audio has been altered to disguise the callers' natural voices.

The The information below was disseminated at 8:47 p.m. on January 4:

At approximately 7:48 a.m., Raleigh Police officers responded to a call of an attempted car break-in along the 2300 block of Creech Road. After pointing a handgun at the owner of the car, who was watching from the window of her home, the suspect, later identified as Najae Devonte Riley (DOB 5/19/01), fled. He then approached a City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services truck in the 2500 block of Creech Road with a handgun. In an attempt to carjack the truck, Mr. Riley ordered the two employees out of the truck and then, as he overtook the vehicle at gunpoint, ordered one employee back into the vehicle.  As Mr. Riley was unsuccessful in operating the vehicle, he then fled on foot toward the campus of Southeast Raleigh High School.

The first officer to respond encountered the suspect, who pointed what she believed to be a handgun at her. The officer commanded Mr. Riley to drop the handgun several times. He discarded an item and ran onto campus as the officer pursued him on foot.   

As additional officers responded to the scene from other directions, the first responding officer continued to give multiple commands for Mr. Riley to stop and get on the ground. Despite these repeated commands, Mr. Riley refused to comply and then thrust both hands forward toward officers in a manner consistent with pointing a handgun. The second officer on the scene fired multiple rounds, none of which struck Mr. Riley. He was taken into custody without further incident. No one sustained any injuries during this incident.

A cellphone was located on the ground near where the first responding officer initially encountered Mr. Riley. A handgun was located along the route he fled from the attempted carjacking. 

The officer who discharged his firearm was not wearing a body worn camera. The incident was captured by the dash cameras and body worn cameras from other officers on the scene. The Raleigh Police Department will seek a petition to authorize release of video of this incident. 

All investigations are ongoing. The Raleigh Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards is conducting a criminal investigation of the shooting. When complete, this investigation will be submitted to the Wake County District Attorney for review. The Detective Division is investigating the actions of Mr. Riley during this incident. Finally, the Raleigh Police Department will conduct an administrative investigation to ensure all officers followed Departmental policies. 

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to call 911. 

Further information will be available in the Five-Day Report to the City Manager.