Gastonia Times

Town of Ranlo issued the following announcement on Jan. 6. 

UPDATED PRESS RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 4th 2023 at 4:25 pm

Kwaku Riley Agyapon Arrested and Held Without Bond

Kwaku Riley Agyapon has been released from CaroMount Health and booked under the charge of first-degree murder.  He was taken from CaroMount Health to the Gaston County Jail and subsequently transferred to the Cleveland County Jail where he is being held without bond.

At approximately 2:15 am on January 1, 2023, the Ranlo Police Department responded to a call for service on Burlington Avenue.

Upon arrival, officers observed that an off-duty Ranlo Police Officer had been involved in a domestic dispute. Mr. Agyapon had been stabbed multiple times and had discharged his service weapon, killing the stabbing suspect. Mr. Agyapon was not on duty, nor was he acting in his official capacity as a Ranlo Police Officer at the time of the event. 

The victim of Sunday morning’s shooting was later identified as Juan Nikely Avalo. Mr. Avalo was shot on Burlington Avenue and transported to CaroMount Health where he passed away. Mr. Avalo was thirty-three years old.

Ranlo Police immediately turned the investigation over to Gaston County Police and requested the assistance of North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Following an initial investigation the SBI, in consultation with the Gaston County District Attorney's Office, obtained a warrant for the charge of first-degree murder against Mr. Agyapon.

The Ranlo Chief of Police Jimmy Lunsford and Town Manager Jonathan Blanton have placed Mr. Agyapon on unpaid administrative leave pending an internal investigation on Sunday afternoon, January 1, 2023.

Mr. Agyapon is thirty-four years old and was sworn in as a Ranlo Police Officer on August 14, 2022.

The SBI is investigating the matter, and all inquiries should be directed to their office at agrube@ncsbi.gov.                  

Original source can be found here.