Police officer in NC killed in shooting at Food Lion grocery store; suspect arrested
A police officer who was responding to a report of an armed man inside a Greensboro, North Carolina, grocery store was fatally shot Monday morning.
The Greensboro Police Department announced the death of Michael Horan, 44, at a news conference Monday afternoon. According to the department, Horan was shot inside a Food Lion grocery store in Greensboro around 11:00 a.m. on Monday, where he was responding to a call about an armed man inside the store.
No other injuries were reported during the incident.
Greensboro police announced Tuesday morning that a suspect, 34-year-old Tarrell Isaac McMillian, had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
According to court records, McMillian is currently being held in the Guilford County Jail without bond and also faces numerous lesser charges for reckless driving and eluding arrest in both Johnston and Sampson counties.
The shooting is currently under investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI).
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Officer shot after a 'brief struggle'
According to a statement from the NCSBI, Horan was the first person to arrive at the Food Lion following a 911 call.
Horan was killed "after a brief struggle," according to the department, and "did not have time to draw or fire his weapon."
McMillian reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle and was spotted two hours later by sheriff's deputies in Johnston County, N.C. After being pursued by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, law enforcement authorities managed to stop McMillian's vehicle along Interstate 40 and arrested him, "without incident."
Remembering Officer Horan
Greensboro Police Department Assistant Police Chief Milford J. Harris described Horan as a police officer with "an outstanding reputation inside the department and the community" during a press conference Monday evening.
Horan was hired in 2017 and sworn in as an officer the following year, serving in the department's Patrol Division, according to Harris.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper offered his condolences to Horan's family and the Greensboro Police Department, writing in a statement Monday evening that "I extend to his family and friends my sympathy and a grateful heart for his brave, dedicated service."
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for Paste BN. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com.