Raleigh police: Officer shot in neck is in stable condition, according to family
The Raleigh police officer who has been recovering at WakeMed since he was shot in the neck earlier this month is in stable condition, family members said Wednesday.
Officer Charles Ainsworth was following up on a report that a car stolen at gunpoint on Jan. 4 had been spotted on Teakwood Place in southwest Raleigh on Jan. 9 when he was shot several times, including in the neck.
Wednesday afternoon, Raleigh police shared a statement from Ainsworth's family, who had asked for privacy since the shooting, saying Ainsworth is in stable condition and beginning the road to recovery.
"The family of Officer Charles Ainsworth would like to thank everyone for their continued support, well wishes and generosity towards the family," the statement said. "Charlie is in stable condition and his recovery will be a slow process. The family is focused on and has hope for a full recovery. We ask that Charlie remain in your thoughts and prayers as he continues medical care through this arduous process."
Since the shooting, more than a dozen local restaurants and businesses teamed up with Raleigh police and the State Employees' Credit Union to host fundraisers for Ainsworth and his family.
Many teachers rallied around Ainsworth's wife, a teacher at Dillard Drive Middle School in Raleigh, donating some of their annual leave hours to her so she could remain by her husband's side at the hospital.
Cedric Jamal Kearney, 24, is charged with attempted murder, two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm in Ainsworth's shooting. He also is charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the carjacking. He remains in the Wake County jail under a $2.66 million bond.
Kearney was apprehended about a half-mile from the scene after an intense manhunt. Police K-9s tracked him to a storage shed outside a home on Wendy Lane after he accidentally locked himself inside and couldn't get out.
Kearney also admitted to investigators that he had broken into a home in Holly Springs hours before Ainsworth was shot and had stolen several guns and other items, according to the warrant applications. He said Amonie Shanteas Fletcher had a key to the home because she had stayed there previously, so he went there with her and Richmond to grab what they could.
Kevin Rawitz said Fletcher was a friend whom he let stay at his house for two or three months because she was in between jobs and was in a financial bind.
"She asked if she could crash at my house. She had two small children. I guess I had a soft spot for that," Rawitz said.
Fletcher, 20, is charged with breaking an entering and remains in the Wake County jail under a $51,000 bond. Richmond also was charged with breaking and entering in the case, and her bonds on that and the carjacking charges was $51,000.
Fletcher is the sister of Antonio Dequan Fletcher, who was with Kearney at the time of Ainsworth's shooting. Antonio Fletcher, 21, of Cary, has been charged with possession of a stolen firearm in the incident, and authorities said he could face other charges. He remains in the Wake County jail under a $50,000 bond.
Senior Officer B.A. Halpin fired at Kearney as he fled the area after Ainsworth's shooting, but he didn't hit anyone. He has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of Raleigh Police Department investigations into the incident.
