DA: Suspect in trooper's fatal shooting was driving stolen truck, was on probation

Trooper Kevin Conner stopped a white GMC pickup at about 12:15 a.m. that was speeding on U.S. Highway 701 south of Whiteville. The truck pulled over near the intersection with Sellers Town Road, and when Conner approached the vehicle, someone inside fired multiple shots, authorities said.

Conner was shot at least twice – once in the face and once in the torso – and the shooting was captured on the dashboard camera in his patrol car and on a security camera at a nearby convenience store, Columbus County District Attorney Jon David said.

The gunman, later identified as Raheem Cole Dashanell Davis, fled the scene.

A Good Samaritan happened upon a wounded Conner a few minutes after he was shot and called 911, authorities said.

An 11-year veteran of the Highway Patrol assigned to Columbus County and the father of two children, Conner was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Other troopers watched the shooting on Conner's dashcam to identify the suspect vehicle, and they found it in Fair Bluff – about 20 miles away – a short time later, David said. When the pickup stalled on some railroad tracks, Davis jumped out and ran, the prosecutor said, and officers apprehended him about 4 a.m. in some woods near the tracks.

Davis, 20, of Chadbourn, was charged with first-degree murder and was being held without bond in the Columbus County jail. David said during a Wednesday afternoon court hearing that he hasn't decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.

"This was cold-blooded, first-degree murder," David said.

Davis was driving a stolen truck when Conner pulled him over, authorities said. Investigators have recovered Davis' shirt and cellphone but haven't found the gun used in the shooting.

Davis was on probation for a January 2017 conviction for firing a gun at a car in Chadbourn in June 2015, according to state Department of Public Safety records.

“I was devastated. I had to call a friend and see, 'Was it true?'" said Andrea Ector, who attended Bladenboro High School with Conner. "There are good police officers out there, and Kevin was one of them."

Ector went to Davis' court hearing, which was packed with state troopers, to get a look at the man accused of gunning down her old friend.

"I am sure, whatever the situation was, Kevin would have helped him – came to court, make the sentence a little lighter for him. But to kill him just to leave him dead like an animal is sad, very sad," she said.

News of Conner's death also hit David Wright hard.

Four years ago, Conner arrested Wright on an impaired driving charge. Wright said he was in a bad place at the time, and the trooper helped him to get his life back.

"He kind of, like, kick-started me, if you will, to maybe want to get better," Wright said. "I told him, 'You did me a favor.'"

Local police departments expressed their condolences for the Highway Patrol's loss Wednesday morning, and a group of state troopers met at a staging site in Fair Bluff to mourn the loss of one of their own.

"The Highway Patrol family is mourning the loss of a hero and will forever be changed by the tragic events that have occurred," Col. Glenn McNeill Jr., commander of the patrol, said in a statement. "We ask everyone to please keep Trooper Conner’s family and all who knew him in your thoughts and prayers."

"This is not something we take very lightly. It is a constant the reminder of the dangers and perils law enforcement encounter every day," patrol spokesman 1st Sgt. Michael Baker said.

"We extend our deepest sympathy to Trooper Conner’s family," Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks said in a statement. "Trooper Conner was killed while protecting and serving his community. We mourn our loss and will continue to support his family. We are grateful for his service and honor the men and women who serve in harm’s way, each and every day.

Gov. Roy Cooper ordered all U.S. and state flags at state facilities to be lowered to half-staff from Thursday morning through Sunday night.

"The tragic loss of Trooper Kevin Conner of the NC State Highway Patrol weighs heavily on our hearts," Cooper said in a statement. "We are forever grateful for his devoted service and selfless commitment to protecting the people of North Carolina. Our prayers are with his family and friends and his colleagues in law enforcement."

Conner is the 65th member of the Highway Patrol killed in the line of duty since the patrol was formed in July 1929. They are commemorated by a memorial at the patrol training center in Raleigh.

A visitation for Conner will be held Oct. 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at South Columbus High School with a funeral service to follow.