Raleigh SWAT standoff wounds two officers; suspect tied to Garner killing

Raleigh Police Department SWAT officers were shot and two were hospitalized after executing a felony arrest/search warrant at an apartment in the 7100 block of Woodbend Drive in north Raleigh on the evening of Feb. 20, 2026, law-enforcement reporting shows. ABC11 said the two SWAT officers were taken to WakeMed and RPD described the scene as an ongoing, active investigation.

A law-enforcement source told WRAL that “SWAT officers attempted to take the suspect into custody when he shot at them.” WRAL reported officers were preparing to enter the residence near Van Thomas Drive when the exchange occurred. Neighbors told WRAL officers had been at the scene since about 6:45 p.m.

WRAL’s source said “two of the officers were injured by gunfire” and that additional SWAT officers “then returned fire and hit the suspect twice.” Authorities transported the two officers and the suspect to the hospital, and the source said “all three are expected to survive.” ABC11 reported Chief Rico Boyce told the station he was waiting for an update on the officers’ conditions and that “a suspect was in custody.”

RPD urged the public to avoid the area and told ABC11 there was “no ongoing threat to the community.” ABC11 also reported the department scheduled a news conference at police headquarters for 10:45 p.m.; WRAL likewise noted police expected to provide more information around 10:45 p.m.

WRAL reported the Raleigh incident was connected to a separate case in Garner: the station said the wounded man was tied to the death of Joey Adams, who “was found shot in his car last week on Timber Drive in Garner” and later died of his injuries. WRAL added that Garner investigators were expanding their probe and had created a tipline for information about Adams’ death.

City reporting identified the location with two spellings used in the field: “Woodbend Drive” and “Wood Bend Drive,” both locating the apartment in the 7100 block near Van Thomas Drive in north Raleigh. WRAL placed the Raleigh standoff among three major scenes that Thursday night, along with a young boy stabbed on North Raleigh Boulevard and an investigation on East Morgan Street near Marbles Kids Museum.

Key questions remain publicly unconfirmed by RPD in the initial statements: the suspect’s identity and charging status, the full medical conditions and names of the two injured SWAT officers, and whether Garner police have filed charges linking the suspect to Joey Adams’ death. Reporters on the scene and WRAL cited neighbors and an unnamed law-enforcement source for the timeline and the connection to Garner; RPD’s news conference and official incident releases were expected to clarify custody, injuries and any formal charges.