Man pleads guilty to pointing gun at officers inside Carolina Beach motel

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — A Carolina Beach man who pointed a gun at officers when they were trying to serve him with an arrest warrant in 2022 appeared in court Thursday.

42-year-old Robert Fitts pled guilty to Fleeing to Elude Arrest with a Motor Vehicle, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

He will serve between 5.8 and 9.4 years in prison for the offenses.

Fitts fled from officers in his girlfriend’s Dodge Nitro following an early morning traffic stop in Carolina Beach on June 30, 2022.

Two days later, detectives saw the vehicle driven by Fitts parked at the Dolphin Lane Motel in Carolina Beach. After learning that Fitts was staying in a room with his girlfriend, the detectives knocked on their door and attempted to get Fitts to surrender. When he refused, the detectives made entry into the room where they found Fitts’ girlfriend on the bed and saw Fitts moving into the bathroom.

Detectives ordered him to come out, but Fitts instead raised a .38 caliber revolver towards them. Both officers fired at Fitts in self-defense, shooting him multiple times. After Fitts’ gun was secured and he was no longer a threat, the detectives performed life-saving measures on him until paramedics arrived. The immediate care provided by the detectives was credited with saving Fitts’ life.

He was hospitalized for weeks before being released to the New Hanover County Jail. He has been in custody awaiting trial ever since.

Both detectives were cleared of any wrongdoing after an investigation by the NC State Bureau of Investigation.