WILMINGTON — A standoff that had one neighborhood shelter-in-place ended with Wilmington police opening fire against a man who allegedly shot at them in the early morning hours of April 17. The incident took place in the Holly Tree area of Wilmington.
READ MORE: Teenager charged with injuring 5-year-old on motorized bike
Wilmington Police Department have identified 40-year-old David Jacobs as the man shot; he remains in critical condition at Novant Health, according to WPD Lt. Greg Willett, who was at the scene Thursday afternoon as the investigation continued.
Anticipated charges for Jacobs include assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm and possession of firearm by a felon.
The scene unfolded shortly before 3 a.m., when officers received a 911 call from a nearby female citizen reporting the sound of gunfire. According to Willett, Jacobs had a history battling mental health issues and the caller, familiar with the man, said Jacobs believed he was being tracked by satellites.
Officers arrived at Jacobs’ home, while gathering information from the caller and getting her out of the area. Around 3:30 a.m, officers made contact with Jacobs inside his residence. Willett stated officers were “somewhat in the guy’s house” and Jacobs refused to come out, firing a rifle at them. No law enforcement were struck.
Although he did not know the make and model, Willett stated Jacobs’ weapon was semi-automatic, describing it as “an assault rifle.”
After it became clear Jacobs had a rifle, officers evacuated nearby citizens and surrounded the premises. The neighborhood was put into a shelter-in-place to ensure no on was hurt.
Jacobs allegedly positioned himself on the second floor of the home and resumed shooting, targeting officers stationed at the back of the property.
Willett explained the WPD SWAT team and crisis negotiators were activated simultaneously to contain the situation and attempt deescalation efforts. Crisis negotiators tried to establish contact with Jacobs to understand the situation and find peaceful resolution.
Shortly after 6 a.m., Jacobs allegedly exited through the front door and placed the rifle in the door frame.
“We’re at a point where maybe we’re going to get some compliance, but we were quickly able to see he’s not complying,” Willett said.
After exiting the home, Jacobs allegedly verbally threatened WPD officers at the scene, who attempted to temporarily incapacitate Jacobs, using less than lethal rounds. Willett described them as hard foam projectiles, but they were unsuccessful.
“He actually then retreated back into his house, grabbed his rifle, was bringing the rifle up and that’s when we fired shots at him,” Willett said.
Willett explained two officers fired shots at Jacobs which struck him “a few times.” It was unclear where on the body Jacobs was hit. Officers placed Jacobs under arrest and SWAT medics and Novant EMS moved in to treat his injuries. He was transported to Novant’s New Hanover Regional Medical Center where he currently remains in critical condition.
Willett explained three separate investigations have followed the incident: Internal Affairs reviews policy adherence, WPD detectives investigating the suspect’s actions for potential charges, and the State Bureau of Investigation conducting an independent investigation into the entire incident.
Willett said the two officers who fired shots at Jacobs will be placed on administrative leave for an undisclosed amount of time per department policy.
The investigation remains active and additional charges could be filed.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
