A Newton police officer was indicated and charged with second-degree murder in a June officer involved shooting.
Carlos Alverto Uribe
Lt. Carlos Alverto Uribe was charged Monday after an indictment was returned, according to a news release from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
"The SBI conducted a thorough investigation and disseminated its findings to the Catawba County District Attorney for review," the release said.
Newton Police Chief Vidal Sipe said Uribe remains on unpaid administrative leave while the department continues its internal investigation.
The charges stem from a June 26 shooting, the release said. A man was shot and killed by a Newton police officer after a chase that started in Newton and ended in a crash in Conover, the Newton Police Department said in June.
At about 11:56 p.m. on June 26, a Newton police officer tried to stop a motorcycle in the 700 block of U.S. Highway 70 for failure to display a registration plate, speeding and reckless driving, Newton police said at the time.
The motorcycle was driven by Camden Skyler Childers, 21, of Stanley, North Carolina.
The police department said Childers failed to stop for the officer and continued to “flee at a high rate of speed†toward Conover. The chase ended on Northern Drive NW in Conover after the motorcycle collided with a patrol vehicle, police said at the time.
The police department said “a brief physical altercation†happened after the crash. Childers was shot by an officer, now identified as Uribe.
Childers was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center. He died at the hospital.
"While we are committed to transparency and accountability, we will refrain from commenting further on the facts of the case or the indictment, out of respect for the ongoing legal proceedings," Sipe said in a news release on Monday night. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone affected by this tragedy. We trust the judicial system to address this matter thoroughly and impartially."
Uribe is scheduled to make a first appearance in Catawba County District Court on Tuesday. Uribe is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
"We remain in close communication with community leaders and are committed to continued transparency within the boundaries of the legal process," Sipe said. "Additional updates will be provided as appropriate and in accordance with legal guidance."
