Durham police charge man shot by officers with assault with intent to kill

Durham police have identified a 21-year-old man shot and injured by officers early Thursday morning on South LaSalle Street.

Ahmmon Fishe of Durham tried to flee police Thursday in a stolen car and jumped a curb, putting an officer “in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death,” a news release stated.

Two other officers then fired at Fishe’s car, striking him in the left shoulder and arm, police said Thursday.

Fishe has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, possession of stolen motor vehicle, and resist delay or obstruct, police stated in a news release Friday afternoon.

The two officers involved, R.V. Gamboa and B.N. Vasquez, have been placed on administrative duty which is standard procedure, while the Police Department and State Bureau of Investigation review the incident, according to the release.

Both were involved in the fatal shooting of a suspect in Durham last year. In that case, the officers fired their weapons at a man who was harming himself and had attacked a Circle K store clerk on Jan. 13, 2021. The Durham County district attorney found the officers acted lawfully.

What police say happened

Police say Thursday’s incident began around 3 a.m. when officers found Fishe sleeping in a car outside a hotel on Front Street.

When they woke him, Fishe drove off, striking an unoccupied patrol car and a private car, according to a news release.

At 4:47 a.m. police saw the same car in a parking lot on South LaSalle Street. The car had been reported stolen in Greensboro.

This time, police said the driver woke up, started the car, backed it into another unoccupied police vehicle and put the car in drive.

“The suspect then intentionally jumped the curb, which caused several officers to flee to prevent from being hit,” the news release stated.

“Two officers, observing that another officer was in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, fired at the vehicle, striking the suspect in the left shoulder and left arm,” the release stated. “After the vehicle came to rest, the suspect jumped from the vehicle and officers pursued him on foot and were able to take him into custody.”

Fishe was treated at a local hospital and was taken to the Durham County jail Monday under $25,000 secured bail, with additional charges possible, according to police.

An officer who suffered minor injuries during the foot chase after Thursday’s shooting was treated on the scene, the release stated.

This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Durham police charge man shot by officers with assault with intent to kill."