North Carolina officer charged in off-duty assault, break-in

ROCKWELL, NC (AP) — A North Carolina police officer has been accused of breaking into a home, assaulting two people and attempting to prevent a woman from calling for help.

Salisbury Police say officer Malik Byrd surrendered to authorities Sunday and has been placed on paid leave.

A warrant alleges Byrd entered a Rockwell home late Saturday while he was off duty and attacked a woman inside. The documents say he also punched a man and tried to stop the woman from calling 911.

He has been charged with breaking and entering, assault, assault on a female and interfering with an emergency call.

It’s unclear whether he has an attorney who can comment for him.