Fresh out of surgery, Officer C.D. Ainsworth is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, including one in the neck. The young officer was responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle involved in a robbery at an apartment complex on Western Boulevard near Schaub Drive. He was driven to WakeMed in the back of a squad car.

  Ainsworth graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Psychology and the goal to one day serve in the traffic enforcement unit. He graduated from the Raleigh Police Academy in December of 2017, just over one year ago.

  Cedric Kearney, 23, and Antonio Fletcher, 21, are said to have stolen a man’s car, phone and wallet, then proceeded to threaten him with a handgun. According to arrest warrants, they stole $16,000 worth of goods in total. Ainsworth and another officer arrived at the scene at 8:30 pm to take the two into custody. They were putting Fletcher into the car when Kearney began running away and shooting at the officers.

  Beginning at 9:30 pm last night, I-440 at Western Boulevard was shut down as part of the investigation. Additionally, a search was held in nearby woods, and the assistance of a state highway patrol helicopter was requested. Cedric Kearney was found hiding out in a tool shed off of Wendy Lane at 12:30 am. Neighbors called authorities when they witnessed tools being pushed out the cracks, this was Kearney’s attempt at breaking the latch which kept him locked in the shed. Kearney was charged with attempted murder, assault of law enforcement officer/police officer with a firearm, robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and felony larceny. Fletcher was charged with possession of a stolen firearm.

  Two more people have recently been connected to the murder, Sherrie Richmonds and Amonie Fletcher, who were in a nearby apartment when Ainsworth was shot. Prosecutors have linked Richmond (along with Kearney and Fletcher) to a prior robbery in Holly Springs. Richmond appeared in court today via video arrangement, as well as Amonie Fletcher, and was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, resisting arrest, breaking and or entering, and felony larceny; she was also given a new court date and a court-appointed attorney. As for Amonie Fletcher, she was given a $50,000 bond and ordered not to be in contact with Richmond or Kearney.

   This has been the first police officer shooting since a friendly fire in November of 2016 that left one officer injured. The last death of an officer was twenty-two years ago while trying to apprehend a murder suspect.