Fayetteville officer wounds man in struggle after traffic stop

A Linden man was in critical condition Monday after being shot by a Fayetteville police officer during a struggle outside a nightclub, police said.

Officer Bobby Cash and Police Specialist Heather Napieralski pulled over a car for a traffic violation at about 12:45 a.m., police said. The officers stopped the car in the parking lot of Sparky's Club, at 740 Bragg Blvd.

When one of the officers approached the car, a fight ensued, and the officer fired several shots during the struggle, striking the driver in the torso, police said.

Gregory Paul Townsend, 45, underwent surgery at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and was stable Monday afternoon, police said.

Police didn't disclose who fired the shots, but both Cash and Napieralski have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of internal and  State Bureau of Investigation reviews of the shooting.