GROENSBORO, NC — A North Carolina man has been charged with murder fatal shooting of a police officer who responded to a report of a man with a gun at a supermarket, authorities announced Tuesday.
Tarell Isaac McMillian, 34, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Greensboro Police Officer Michael Horan inside a Food Lion on Monday, Greensboro police said in a news release. He was held without bond.
Police said McMillian also faces multiple charges in connection with the vehicle pursuit that led to his arrest in Duplin County, about 150 miles southeast of Greensboro in the central part of the state. Online court records do not list an attorney who could speak on McMillian’s behalf. Police say no one else is wanted in the investigation.
Horan was responding to the call when he was shot at a Food Lion store in Greensboro shortly before noon. Authorities said Monday afternoon that the circumstances of the shooting were still under investigation. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the state’s primary law enforcement agency, continues to investigate.
Horan was hired in 2017 and became a sworn Greensboro police officer in early 2018, Assistant Police Chief Milford J. Harris said. Horan served in the department’s patrol bureau. He also served in the U.S. Coast Guard since 2000, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“He was an excellent officer. He had an excellent reputation within the department and in the community,” Harris said at a news conference.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said later Monday on of a senseless act of violence.” He added that he was grateful for Horan’s “valiant, dedicated service.”
The store will remain closed while authorities continue their investigation, Food Lion said in a statement, adding that it was providing resources to affected employees.