Steve Smith Ibarra – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has identified the man who died following an incident in west Charlotte on January 18. The victim, 35-year-old Steve Smith Ibarra, was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to police reports, the incident began in the early hours of Saturday morning when officers attempted to stop a vehicle on Walkers Ferry Road at around 12:30 a.m. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop and fled from the scene. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police chose not to pursue the vehicle, and the car was later located on Windy Grove Road, near the Catawba River.
While officers were investigating the abandoned vehicle, they heard someone calling for help from the nearby water. Responding quickly, the officers managed to rescue Ibarra from the water and immediately began life-saving measures. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead.
In addition to Ibarra’s rescue, two officers were also transported to the hospital for medical evaluation but were later released.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have launched an active and ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ibarra’s death. At this stage, the cause of his death and the details surrounding the pursuit remain under investigation. Further information is expected to be released as the inquiry progresses.