North Carolina

Man tried running over dad, officers with car during dispute, North Carolina cops say

A North Carolina man was shot by police after allegedly attempting to run his father and two officers over with his car in Conover, authorities say.
A North Carolina man was shot by police after allegedly attempting to run his father and two officers over with his car in Conover, authorities say. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A North Carolina man accused of trying to run over officers with his car remains hospitalized in critical condition, multiple news outlets report.

Police shot 50-year-old Clegg Johnson when he allegedly sped toward them with his car in Conover on Sunday evening, WCNC reported, citing the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities were responding to a “family matter” between Johnson and his 80-year-old father at the time of the incident.

The shooting unfolded outside the father’s home where police said Johnson used his car to ram a police cruiser, launching it backward, WJZY reported. He proceeded to turn the car in the direction of his father and two police officers, who were standing in the driveway.

The officers opened fire as Johnson accelerated, WBTV reported. He was airlifted to a Charlotte hospital with serious injuries.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident.

Conover is about 45 miles northwest of Charlotte.

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This story was originally published September 6, 2021 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Man tried running over dad, officers with car during dispute, North Carolina cops say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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