2 Charged With Shooting Durham Officer; 1 in Custody

Durham, N.C. — Authorities in Burlington on Friday arrested one man wanted for shooting a Durham police officer, taking him into custody after a standoff at a house. They were searching for a second suspect on Saturday morning.

Durham police officer D.B. Vereen was shot in the back and arm while responding to a break-in in progress at 1410-A Cherrycrest Drive on Sunday night.

Authorities received information Friday afternoon that David Wendale Williams, 22, of Normandy Street in Durham, was in a house at 1017 S. Church St. in Burlington.

The Burlington Police Department's Special Response Team surrounded the house and negotiated with Williams for 90 minutes. Officers fired six rounds of tear gas into the house, and Williams surrendered.

Kevin Burnett “K.J.” Johnson, 24, of Concord Street in Durham, was still at large. He is known to frequent the areas of Concord Street, Martha Street, the Baycreek Apartments at 1309 Hudson Avenue, Belmont Drive and the Cornwallis Road housing community, Durham police said.

Both men are charged with second-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm.

Williams is being held at the Durham County jail under a $1 million bond.

Vereen was shot after confronting the suspects at the back of the house. He was taken to Duke University Hospital and was released Monday.

South Church Street in Burlington was shut down during the standoff.

Agencies involved in identifying the two and tracking down Williams included the U.S. Marshals Service’s Fugitive Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Burlington Police Department, Durham Crime Stoppers and various Durham Police Department units, officials said.

Durham Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to arrests in the case. Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips.

Anyone with information on Johnson's whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200, Sgt. Jack Cates at 919-560-4440, ext. 262 or Investigator G.S. Bryant at 919-560-4440, ext. 246.