911 call: Wife reports armed suicidal husband before police shooting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — We are learning more details leading up to a man being shot by Wilmington Police Wednesday evening in the Pine Valley area.

WPD says the incident happened about 7 p.m. when officers said they responded to reports of shots fired and that the suspect had barricaded himself inside his home.

Police said the 62-year-old man then exited his house with multiple firearms. The man ignored multiple commands before he was shot, according to WPD.

According to a 911 call released Thursday, the caller identifies herself as the victim’s wife.

She said her husband had been drinking and had not eaten any food. She told 911 that when she tried to feed him, he threw the food out on the back porch. That’s when the husband had threatened suicide, barricaded himself in a back bedroom with guns, and fired a shot into the ceiling.

She told the dispatcher her husband didn’t want her calling police, but she was petrified.

She contacted 911 while outside the home in the yard.

The wife told dispatch he had never done anything like this before and they had been together for more than 30 years.

She said one of the guns her husband had was an revolver. According to the CAD (computer aided dispatch) report, he had two guns, one “semi” and one “auto”.

WPD said the officers involved with the shooting are on paid leave as investigations are conducted.

Police said the State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting. The department said it’s also conducting its own internal review.

Wilmington Police say they are coordinating with the SBI on the release of the names of the officers involved in the shooting as well as the man who was shot. They hope to have that information available on Friday.