Campus Alert Archive
Duke Health

A Man in Custody Grabs an Officer's Gun in the Duke ER

NCshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of January 14, 2022, a man already in Durham police custody and being medically evaluated in the emergency department at Duke University Hospital attacked a Durham officer, gained control of the officer's firearm, and fired shots before a Duke University police officer shot him. The man, Raishawn Steven Jones, later died of his injuries; no patients or other staff were physically injured.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
Duke University Hospital
Private R1 · NC
EverbridgeDukeALERT
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction161 chars
DukeALERT: Police activity at Duke University Hospital Emergency Department. Avoid the area. Follow instructions from public safety personnel. Updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from Duke's official statement and local reporting; the exact DukeALERT message text was not published, so this is honestly marked unconfirmed.
The incident was contained to the ED itself, which is why the reconstructed alert emphasizes 'avoid the area' rather than a campus-wide shelter order.
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction169 chars
DukeALERT: The police activity at Duke University Hospital has been resolved. There is no ongoing threat. The Emergency Department remains an active investigation scene.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed all-clear consistent with Duke's statement that there was no ongoing threat after the man was shot.
Preserves that the ED stayed an active scene even after the all-clear, which reflects how the State Bureau of Investigation handled the shooting review.
Context

Background

On the evening of January 14, 2022, a fatal shooting unfolded inside the emergency department at Duke University Hospital in Durham. Per Duke's official statement, a man who was in Durham Police custody and being medically evaluated attacked a Durham officer, gained 'complete control' of that officer's firearm, and fired before Duke University Police 1st Sgt. Lex Allan Popovich shot him. WRAL reported that the man, Raishawn Steven Jones, later died, no patients or other staff were physically injured, and the State Bureau of Investigation reviewed the shooting. The Durham District Attorney subsequently recommended a new policy for guns in the ER and found the officer would not face charges. The incident is a classic academic-health-center security scenario: the threat originated from a person already inside clinical space in custody, not an outside intruder, which complicates both alerting and lockdown decisions. DukeALERT messages are not publicly archived, so the alert text here is an honest reconstruction.
Analysis

Key Findings

The threat came from a person already in custody and inside the ED, illustrating an insider/in-custody scenario distinct from external active-shooter events
Duke University Police 1st Sgt. Lex Allan Popovich fired the shots; the Durham DA later declined charges and recommended a new policy on guns in the ER
No patients or bystanders were physically injured despite shots being fired inside an occupied emergency department
DukeALERT notifications are not publicly archived, so the verbatim wording is an honest reconstruction
Outcome
Duke University 1st Sgt. Lex Allan Popovich shot Raishawn Steven Jones, who later died. The Durham officer he attacked was injured. The Durham DA reviewed the shooting, found no charges warranted, and recommended a new policy on guns in the ER.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Statement From Duke University Regarding Emergency Department Shooting
    today.duke.edu
  2. News
    Man in custody shot, killed by Duke University police officer while at emergency room
    witn.com
  3. News
    911 calls: Man killed by Duke University police fired shots inside hospital emergency room
    wral.com
  4. News
    After investigation into shooting at Duke hospital, Durham DA recommends new policy for guns in ER
    wral.com
Tags
shootinghospitalacademic-health-centernorth-carolinaemergency-departmentin-custodyemergency-notification
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion