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Police officer Domingo Tavarez-Rodriguez and his wife were found dead at their home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Friday, April 29, 2023. The police officer was scheduled to start his shift at 6 pm that day, but when he didn't show up, his supervisors tried reaching him on his phone. However, after multiple attempts, officers went to his house on Vandenberg Drive and discovered the two bodies.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is treating the case as a double homicide as the victims were shot to death. Following the incident, Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden held a news conference to address the situation. Braden said that he didn't believe that the couple had been targeted as Domingo was a police officer.
The police chief stated that the police department was still investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths. They are yet to determine whether a third party was involved or if the incident was a murder-suicide. According to Braden, Tavarez-Rodriguez is a veteran and joined the police department in June 2021.
North Carolina cop found dead in his home, police chief maintains investigation is ongoing
The North Carolina cop, 53-year-old, Domingo Tavarez-Rodriguez, had served in the military before he joined the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) in 2021. He married his wife Yenitza Arroyo Torres in October 2022, and the two lived in a home on the 1300 block of Vandenberg Drive since 2017.
Police chief Kemberle Braden reiterated that Domingo Tavarez-Rodriguez and his wife, Yenitza Arroyo Torres, were not killed because the former was a police officer.
He added that he doesn't fear that any officers are being targeted by anyone. Braden pointed out that the discovery was made by FPD only after the retired military veteran did not show up to work, FayObserver reported.
Both the husband and wife had gunshot wounds, the police chief said. Braden refrained from any further details regarding the incident besides stating that both the North Carolina police officer and his wife were shot to death. Additionally, Braden did not mention any signs of forced entry into their home.
North Carolina cop was described as a great cop by those who knew him
The deaths of the police officer and his wife have shaken the community in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and left many wondering what happened. Social media posts from friends and family expressed shock and sorrow at the loss of the couple. Many described Tavarez-Rodriguez as a great cop and a happy person.
One woman called the whole incident "unreal." While a man who had served with the FPD cop in the military said:
"Mingo was a great NCO and awesome cop. This is awful."
The man stated that he had met Tavarez-Rodriguez several weeks ago and that the officer seemed happy.
As mentioned earlier, the death of the FPD officer and his wife are under investigation and the police chief doesn't suspect that any other officers would be targeted.
