UPDATE: Police have identified the armed robber and shooting victim as 52-year old Bobby Airon Dinkins. Dinkins' arrest history in Charlotte-Mecklenburg goes back to 1992 on charges including burglary, robbery and felony breaking and entering.
Shortly after 7:30 pm, a CMPD Officer exchanged gunfire with a suspected armed robber in a shopping center parking lot on South Blvd. The suspect suffered serious injuries and the Officer suffered minor injuries.
Prior to the shooting, the suspect robbed two clerks at gunpoint inside a Dollar Tree store. An assistant manager told WCNC News that two clerks inside the store were tied up during the robbery, which happened right before closing. One clerk managed to call 911 on her cell phone while the robber was out of the room.
An Officer was across the street on another call and spotted the suspect running from the store. At some point, shots were fired and the suspect was hit. Police are not saying who fired shots or what led to the gunfire.