It was barely past midnight on a quiet residential street in west Asheville when emergency calls brought police to a home on Nancy Street. Marcellus Tremaine Robinson, 39, died Thursday morning after a confrontation with officers responding to reports of a break-in.
Emergency dispatchers took several 911 calls around 12:34 a.m. Callers reported hearing loud shouting and said a man had forced his way inside a house. When Asheville police officers arrived at the scene, they saw clear physical signs that someone had broken through the door.
Inside the residence, officers heard loud noises pointing to an ongoing disturbance in the house. They walked in and found a man holding a knife. Police later identified the man as Robinson.
Officers gave multiple verbal commands for Robinson to drop the knife. Police reported that Robinson refused to put down the weapon. Officers then opened fire, hitting him inside the home.
Officers gave medical aid at the scene until paramedics arrived to take Robinson to Mission Hospital. Robinson died at the hospital from the gunshot wounds he received during the incident.
The Asheville Police Department placed the officer involved in the shooting on paid administrative leave. Department officials stated that this action is standard procedure while an investigation takes place.
Agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are now handling the case. SBI investigators will review everything that happened during the call and present their findings to the District Attorney’s Office. Asheville sits in Buncombe County in western North Carolina, about 125 miles west of Charlotte.
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