Police: Man set fire to his own home before leading police on chase, firing shots at officers

Knightdale police said Willie Jerome Daniels, 39, came to a Country Hearth Inn on Money Drive and knocked on several doors trying to find his wife.

When he was unable to find his wife, police said Daniels returned to his home on Gaby Lane, shattered the windows of the home and set it on fire. No one was inside the home when it was set on fire, but the fire caused a significant amount of damage to the first floor of the home.

While investigating the fire, officials were called for a report of a shooting in the 4200 block of Brockton Drive in Raleigh around 12 p.m. on Thursday. When they arrived, they found one person who had been shot. That person was taken to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Police did not release the name of the shooting victim or say how that person was connected to Daniels.

Officers responding to the shooting spotted a car that matched the description of what Daniels was driving and gave chase. Daniels crashed with another car at the intersection of New Bern Avenue and New Hope Road.

Daniels got out of the car and fired multiple shots at Raleigh police.

Viewer video shared with WRAL News showed the moment Daniels fired several gunshots at Raleigh police officers and later threw his gun down as officers have their guns drawn.

At least 11 shots were fired, officials said, and two patrol cars were hit by gunfire.

Officers did fire shots back at Daniels but did not hit him, according to police. Daniels was then shocked with a Taser. He was taken into police custody.

Nigel Moore was on his way to a business meeting in Clayton when he witnessed the shooting. He said it was like something out of a movie.

"Next thing I know I saw him get out and start shooting. Pow pow pow," said Moore. "A car, Toyota Camry, came up to my driver rear and almost hit me."

Little did Moore know he was in the middle of a high-speed chase between Raleigh police officers and Daniels.

"Once he started shooting I immediately got behind another vehicle to keep a stray bullet from coming through my windshield hitting me," said Moore.

Moore said he's thankful he didn't become a victim in the middle of the madness.

"You see things like that on TV, but never experience in real life," said Moore.

"The insanity of this series of events is beyond disturbing," Knightdale Police Chief Lawrence Capps said in a statement.

Daniels has been charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder, three counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle, one count of larceny of a motor vehicle, one count of felony breaking and entering with intent to terrorize, and one count of felony fleeing to elude.

Knightdale police said Daniels has previous criminal charges including assault on a female, assault with a deadly weapon, trespassing, communicating threats and a previous domestic violence order.

"Someone who was driving a car ... he gets out of the car and the police were running behind him," said Omar Cherkaoui, who works nearby. "After that, they catch him and that's all that was."

New Bern Avenue (U.S. 64 Business) at New Hope Road was closed for over five hours as police investigated.