A domestic dispute between a mother and her adult son in east Charlotte turned into an hourslong police standoff Wednesday morning at the Fairmarket Place apartment complex, but it ended without anyone getting hurt. Neighbors watched as a wall of law-enforcement vehicles rolled in, including tactical trucks and a long line of patrol cars, while officers tried to talk the man out of the unit.
According to court documents, the mother told officers she wanted her 42-year-old son removed from her home and reported that he had walked around with a shotgun, pointed it at her and threatened to shoot her. She also said officers previously told her she could not force him out because the apartment was considered his legal residence. Those details are laid out in an affidavit filed with the court, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Police response and neighbor accounts
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department sent SWAT and other specialized units to Fairmarket Place, and neighbors said they counted more than a dozen patrol cars along the street. Part of Fairmarket Place between The Plaza and Bridgeport Drive was temporarily shut down while officers worked the scene. Residents were urged to shelter in place as negotiators tried to keep the situation contained and calm, according to on-scene coverage from WSOC/Channel 9 via Yahoo.
Authorities eventually took the man into custody. Court records show he faces charges that include assault by pointing a gun and possession of a stolen firearm, and prosecutors are expected to review the case for formal filings in the coming days. The standoff ended peacefully and there were no reported injuries, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Legal options for residents and victims
North Carolina law gives people who fear domestic violence a way to ask the courts for quick protection. Under Chapter 50B of the North Carolina General Statutes, a judge can issue an emergency ex parte protective order that grants one person possession of a residence and bars another person from the home. The law also allows the court to order eviction of an abusive household member and require the surrender of firearms while a full hearing is scheduled. Those civil tools can provide a path to remove an adult from a home when police say they cannot legally force someone out without an arrest or court order. See North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 50B…