Who Is Josue Javier Diaz? Charlotte Officer Kills Hispanic Man In Alleged Road Rage Shooting

North Carolina Police said an undercover detective fatally shot a motorist Thursday who collided with his unmarked vehicle. The incident apparently was an act of road rage, police said, identifying the victim as 28-year-old Josue Javier Diaz.

“It appears it was like a road-rage incident that cost someone his life,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Deputy Police Chief Jeff Estes said at a news conference.

Diaz allegedly struck the detective’s patrol car and took off on Albemarle Road around 1:18 p.m. The detective, who remained unidentified due to the nature of his assignment, followed his car, and requested a marked patrol car to assist, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Police said Diaz then stopped his vehicle directly in front of the detective, exited the vehicle and pulled a gun on the detective. Another occupant was inside the vehicle.

“While the detective was notifying communications, the suspect stopped his vehicle directly in front of the detective’s vehicle,” CMPD said in a statement. “The suspect exited his vehicle and displayed a handgun. The detective perceived an imminent threat and fired his service weapon, striking the suspect.”

Diaz was pronounced dead at the scene. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officials said on Twitter a weapon was recovered at the scene, and a passenger in the car was taken into custody. They also tweeted that their “thoughts are with all involved.”

The officer was not wearing a body camera because undercover officers don’t usually wear them, Estes told reporters.

Diaz’s last known address was in East Charlotte, near Lawyers Road, according to reports.

Estes said he didn’t know if Diaz shot at the detective and that it was unclear how many shots were fired. However, a witness who was waiting for a bus told NBC Charlotte Reporter Ty Chandler that she heard about six shots.

The department said the officer and the victim were both Hispanic males.

The unnamed detective will be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, police said.