Tow truck driver shoots man who he was taking car from

article

This undated mugshot provided by the Durham Police Department shows 24-year-old Brandon Ayscue, who police say is charged with assault with a deadly weapon after an argument over towing a vehicle early Friday Nov. 22, 2019, in Durham, N.C. Police say

Expand

DURHAM, N.C. - RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina tow truck operator shot, wounded and slashed a driver who objected to his attempt to haul away the man’s vehicle while he was still in it, police said Friday.

The argument began around 4 a.m. at an apartment complex minutes from Duke University in Durham when 24-year-old Brandon Ayscue tried to tow the vehicle with the driver still inside, according to a Durham Police Department statement.

Police said the driver was slashed and shot in the chest during the struggle, and a woman who tried to intervene to help the driver was also cut on the hand.

The driver, a 45-year-old man, was hospitalized with serious wounds, said police spokeswoman Kammie Michael. His name wasn’t immediately released.

Ayscue has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree kidnapping, among other counts.

It wasn’t clear if he has an attorney who can speak for him. A phone listing for him couldn’t immediately be found.

Police said he worked for Unlimited Recovery, where manager Lauren Hennrich declined to comment when reached by a reporter.

The shooting happened at Duke Manor Apartments, which sits amid a cluster of apartment complexes that cater to a mix of permanent residents and students.

The towing company’s website said that its services include towing away illegally parked cars for apartments, shopping centers and other businesses. Michael, the police spokeswoman, said the towing wasn’t a repossession situation.

A message left with the company that manages the complex wasn’t immediately returned Friday.