Standoff at Kings Cross Apartments | Fayetteville police shoot murder suspect after hours-long standoff

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) – After a nearly four-hour standoff, Fayetteville police officers shot and killed a murder suspect on Tuesday.

It all started when officers tried to execute an arrest warrant for a man accused of first-degree murder. The man’s identity has not been released.

Officers arrived at the Kings Cross Apartments on Ivanhoe Court at 9:20am.

When they arrived, the man they were looking for had barricaded himself in one of the apartment units. Officers said the man had a gun on him.

Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden said officers tried to negotiate with the man throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

Shortly after 1 p.m., however, shots were fired inside the apartment.

Then the man came out of the apartment and Braden said, “There was an exchange of gunfire.”

Braden said the suspect fired at officers before three Fayetteville officers opened fire on him.

“The suspect exited the residence while an exchange of gunfire with members of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team was taking place,” Braden said.

None of the officers were injured. The three officers who fired their weapons were placed on leave as usual.

The residents were shocked by the incident.

“It was really scary because my kids were out here. You never know where the bullets are going to go,” Karmen Spencer said. “It’s just a scary experience to witness.”

Spencer observed the entire standoff and said there were multiple shots fired both inside and outside the man’s apartment.

“He falls to the ground and then throws his arm up. After about 30 seconds he throws his arm up and they start shooting at him again while he’s on the ground,” she said.

The man was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Kings Cross resident Jimea Wendel also witnessed the exchange of gunfire. Both Wendel and Spencer said they initially heard several shots coming from the man’s apartment before he eventually came outside – gun still in his hand – and a shootout ensued.

“You could see they were telling him to lay him down, put his gun down or something, and then they started shooting,” Wendel said.

Video from Helicopter 11 showed the aftermath of the shooting: a gun on the lawn, just steps from the apartment, and other personal items scattered everywhere. Wendel said the second volley of gunfire, while the man lay injured on the ground, was particularly painful to watch.

“So many people shot him the first time, and I like that. It was like they intended to kill this man, or so it seemed to me,” she said.

ABC11 is trying to determine which murder case the suspect was wanted for. The FPD has not released the man’s identity.