Greensboro police arrest suspect in Laci Brown killing

The case moved from a fatal shooting on West Barton Street to a murder arrest in less than two weeks, a pace that can strengthen public confidence that investigators were able to identify a suspect quickly.

Greensboro police said 47-year-old Damien Potts was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Laci Brown, a 32-year-old woman whose death had shaken the city’s West Barton Street corridor. Potts was arrested without incident by the Greensboro Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team at a relative’s residence, then taken to the Guilford County Jail, where he was being held without bond.

Officers, Greensboro Fire and Guilford County EMS responded at about 10:01 p.m. on April 17 to the 1000 block of West Barton Street. They found Brown inside a residence with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she died. Greensboro police said Brown’s family was notified of the arrest.

The arrest shows how quickly a homicide investigation can move once detectives believe they have enough evidence to connect a suspect to a killing. VCAT, the department’s fugitive recovery unit, focuses on violent offenders wanted for crimes including murder, rape and armed robbery, and works with other law enforcement partners in serious cases. In this case, the arrest did not end the investigation. It marked the point where detectives had gathered enough information to bring the case into the court system.

Potts’ first court appearance was scheduled for May 1 in Guilford County, where the case falls under Prosecutorial District 24 and District Court District 24. Court documents were available through Guilford County eCourts, allowing the public to follow the filing as the case advances through local courts.

A first-degree murder charge is the opening step in a far longer legal process. Prosecutors still must present evidence, and the defense will have opportunities to challenge the state’s case as the proceedings continue. For Brown’s family and for Greensboro residents following the case, the arrest brings a named suspect into custody, but the search for a full accounting of what happened on West Barton Street is only beginning.