Dramatic police chase ends with man shot in front of church crowd, NC cops say

Arriving early for Sunday services turned horrific for members of Methodist church when they witnessed a police shooting, according to investigators in North Carolina.

It happened shortly after 9:30 a.m. Sunday in front of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Hickory, and the suspect remains hospitalized, the Hickory Police Department reported in a Feb. 8 news release. Church services start at 10 a.m.

“A Hickory police officer was sitting in his marked police vehicle in the parking lot of El Paso Mexican Restaurant (and) observed a ... male later identified as Robert Mitchell Lester, 35, of Hickory, walking towards his patrol vehicle with a knife in his hand,” police said.

“Lester continued to walk towards the officer in an aggressive manner and verbally challenged the officer. Additional officers arrived on scene and gave Lester numerous commands to drop the knife he was holding. Lester continued to challenge the officers then proceeded to flee on foot towards St. Luke’s United Methodist Church ... where church members were arriving for service.”

The resulting chase across church property included a police K-9 being “released” to apprehend Lester, officials said. Lester responded by trying to stab the dog, police said.

“Officers continued to pursue Lester as he ran across the property of St. Luke’s. One officer fell to the ground as he and Lester approached 16th Avenue NW. Lester turned toward the officer with the knife in his hand and officers fired their weapons, striking Lester,” police said.

“Officers took Lester into custody and immediately began providing first aid. He was transported to Carolinas Medical Center and is currently in stable condition.“

The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting. The police officers involved are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure, officials said.

Hickory is about a 60-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.

This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 5:53 AM with the headline "Dramatic police chase ends with man shot in front of church crowd, NC cops say."