Tag: RPD

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The Raleigh Police Department released its five-day report on the deadly shootout in the Renaissance Park neighborhood.

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, 70-year-old Antonio Rodrigues fired at multiple RPD officers. He critically injured Officer Max Gillick, who is still in the hospital. According to the report, the officers fired back and killed Rodrigues. This shooting came after Rodrigues shot John Rowe who was at the house. Rowe was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

According to the report, five RPD officers discharged their weapons during the incident. The report lists their names as Captain B. Gartin, Lt. K. Smithey and Officers S. Henry, M. Batts, and T. Webb.

These officers have been placed on administrative leave which is standard procedure.

In all, 43 rounds were fired by RPD officers during the gunfire exchange with Rodrigues.

Body cameras were also worn by officers involved during the encounter, the report said, and captured the shooting. RPD will release agency recordings that capture the officer-involved shooting.

SEE ALSO | Raleigh police chief lauds officer wounded in shooting; suspect’s ex-wife recalls terrifying ordeal

An eyewitness, who did not want to be identified, says she could hear through a shared wall the situation quickly escalating. The woman says she hid in a bathroom along with her dog as a series of shots were fired next door.

“It was a lot of yelling and then a few gunshots, and then it would be silence. And then that cycle kind of repeated itself,” the individual said. “Towards the end, I heard a countdown very clearly. The police counting down, and then a large crash and a lot of gunfire.”

SEE ALSO | Candlelight vigil held for victims of shooting in Renaissance Park

5-Day Report Timeline

5:39 p.m.
Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received a 911 call reporting a “forcible entry at a residence” on Democracy Street.

The 911 caller said that the person she believed to be her ex-husband, Rodrigues, was forcing his way into her home. She told the 911 operator she had an active domestic violence protective order against him.

The suspect had tased her current boyfriend, Rowe, she said but the suspect had left her home and neither she nor her boyfriend needed medical attention.

5:44 p.m.
While ECC was gathering information from the caller, she said the suspect had returned and was breaking the glass to enter through the back door. She confirmed the suspect was her ex-husband and he had a shotgun.

While she was still on the phone with 911, she reported Rodrigues shot Rowe.

5:46 p.m.
On the way to the home, officers were told the suspect had reentered the home and shot someone inside.

5:49 p.m.
Officers arrived at the home and heard gunfire coming from inside the house.

Shortly after this, the 911 caller ran outside and told an officer, “(her) boyfriend was dying on the floor.” She also confirmed the shots heard were coming from the back of her home.

5:53 p.m.
Officers Gillick, M. Batts, Z. Kwiatkowski, K-9 Officer S. Henry and Sergeant E. Patton went to the back of the home. They found Rowe conscious and bleeding from his side on the kitchen floor.

Gillick stayed with Rowe, while the others conducted “a protective sweep of the residence to secure the scene for emergency medical personnel to enter and render aid.”

5:56 p.m.
Officers opened the garage and found Rodrigues with a gun. They repetitively told him to drop the weapon and raise his hands.

Rodrigues shot multiple times at the officers. In return, Officer Henry fired back at him.

Officer Gillick requested additional assistance from law enforcement.

At the time, according to the report, it was believed that Officer Henry and/or Officer Batts had been shot. Sgt. Patton relayed over police radio at 5:57 P.M. that an officer had been shot.

6:08 p.m.
During this time, Rodrigues fired shots from inside the garage and appeared, according to the report, to use a flare gun “in response to officers’ commands for him to drop his weapon and to surrender.”

6:36 p.m.
An armored vehicle was used to breach the exterior garage door to the home.

Rodrigues then entered the home from the garage and fired at nearby officers, hitting Officer Gillick who was behind the screened patio area.

Officers then deployed flashbangs near the garage door. Captain Gartin, Lt. Smithey, and Officers Batts and Webb returned fire and killed Rodrigues.

Other officers were then able to carry Officer Gillick and Rowe out of the home.

6:38 p.m.
Rowe and Gillick were then taken to a hospital for treatment.

Rodrigues was pronounced dead at the scene.

Evidence Recovered

A Rossi .44 Magnum lever-action rifle was found near where Rodrigues was lying. A 9mm ghost gun along with ammunition was also found on Rodrigues’ waistband. According to the report, he was wearing a bandolier belt across his chest.

19 fired shell casings consistent with Rodrigues’ firearms were located at the scene:

• 13 .44 Magnum shell casings were found in the garage
• Three .44 Magnum shell casings and three 9mm shell casings were found inside the residence

A taser was found inside the home.

A flare gun and flare gun shell were found inside the garage

A cache of hand explosives was also later found in Rodrigues’ vehicle.

Expert weighs in on the shootout

Dr. Roy Taylor has more than four decades of law enforcement experience and offered his expertise on officers’ actions.

“What they did was legal. What they did was proper. What they did what was reasonable,” said Taylor.

He says EMS and police officers acted swiftly in a very dangerous, tense situation and the outcome could have been worse.

“It’s lucky that none of the neighbors were injured because those rounds will penetrate walls and hit innocent victims,” said Taylor

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