Officials say an off-duty North Carolina police officer was shot and died after approaching two suspects at a petrol station.
A Sunday press release from the Greensboro Police Department said sergeant Philip Dale Nix was a 23-year veteran. Police have detained three guys, including 18-year-old Jamere Justice Foster, for first-degree murder and theft.
Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson did not identify the crime Nix observed or describe the circumstances leading up to the shooting at a press conference Saturday night.
The Greensboro Police Department issued a nationwide warning for two 20-year-old men and a black Chevrolet Equinox. Blue Alert was issued two hours after the shooting and rescinded two hours later. A Blue Alert is issued when a police officer is gravely injured, murdered, or missing.
Thompson said an off-duty Greensboro cop and a paramedic promptly helped Nix after he was wounded. Local medical facilities proclaimed Nix dead.
Thompson added, “He was a loving husband, father, son and brother,” in prepared words. On Sunday, the agency did not respond to an email about the probe.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan told local media Saturday night that the agency needed time to investigate and prosecute the individuals. “Words are inadequate right now,” she remarked. “I can’t say anything to comfort the family or officers. What occurred today was needless violence.”
Former Twitter user Roy Cooper pledged “all available state resources to catch those who killed a Greensboro police officer” on X. ___ Based on revised department records, Officer Philip Dale Nix's Greensboro police tenure is corrected. He served 23 years.