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North Carolina officer slain in traffic stop; killer also dead

Posted at 10:14 AM, May 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-05 13:41:49-04

MOORESVILLE, NC — MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- A North Carolina police officer and his suspected killer are dead in a Charlotte suburb, Mooresville police said Sunday.

Officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, was shot and killed during a traffic stop around 10 p.m. Saturday, police said.

The killer was tracked to his nearby apartment and was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the department said on its Facebook page.

Police Chief Damon Williams identified the gunman as 28-year-old Michael Aldana of Mooresville.

Aldana had been known by police but not for any violent acts, Williams said at a press conference.

The chief declined to say what prompted Sheldon to stop Aldana's vehicle and said he doesn't know the motive for the shooting.

Sheldon was wearing a body camera and it was operating at the time he was killed, Williams said. Sheldon, a six-year department veteran, was one of the department's K9 officer and his dog, Ramon, was on duty when the officer was killed, Williams said.

Sheldon wasn't married but was involved in a relationship, Williams said.

"This isn't a number for us. This is a real person. And we're heartbroken. The pain and sorrow that we feel is -- can't express it," Mayor Miles Atkins said.

Mooresville is a town of 38,000 about 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) north of Charlotte.