Police: Man killed by officers was felon released last year

GASTONIA, N.C. – Authorities in North Carolina say a man killed by police after a two-state car case and a shootout was a felon who had been released from prison last year.

The Gaston Gazette reports the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation identified him as 26-year-old Matthew Alan Whitley of Gastonia.

Kings Mountain Police Chief Jerry Tessneer said Thursday that the chase began in Gastonia, went through South Carolina and ended in Kings Mountain when Whitley got out of his car, ran toward a church and was firing at officers over his shoulder. Officers returned fire, and Whitley was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the SBI, Whitley was released from prison in January 2016 after serving nine months following his conviction for possession of a firearm as a felon.