Sergeant Lewis Edward Robinson Sr.
Mecklenburg County Police Department
North Carolina
End of Watch: Monday, May 4, 1970

Biographical Info
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 22 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Monday, May 4, 1970
Weapon Used: Rifle
Suspect Info: Apprehended

Sergeant Robinson was shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant with eight other officers. Earlier in the day, a woman in a rural area called the electric company to report that her electricity was out. When a company employee arrived on the scene, he determined that woman's water was out, not the electricity. The water had been turned off by a neighbor. As the employee prepared to leave, the neighbor exited his house. The neighbor fired several shots into the utility truck and at the employee.

The employee signed a warrant for discharging of a weapon into occupied property. When the officers arrived on the scene, they surrounded the house and fired tear gas into it. When there was no response from inside, they determined the suspect was not in the house. The officers began to search the area. The suspect was hiding under a tree 50-feet away. The suspect opened fire with a military carbine rifle, striking Sergeant Robinson. The other officers returned fire and wounded the suspect. The officers took him into custody.

Sergeant Robinson was survived by his wife and son.