A former Newton Police Department lieutenant will spend eight to 10 years in prison following his conviction for second-degree murder during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Carlos Alverto Uribe, 29, of Conover, was given the active prison term by the Honorable Athena F. Brooks, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, after he entered a guilty plea in connection with the June 26, 2025, shooting death of 21-year-old Camden Childers after a motorcycle chase.
Uribe entered a guilty plea to the charge on June 4, 2026, but sentencing was deferred at that time. Judge Brooks imposed the active prison term on Wednesday after hearing evidence presentation by the defense and state over a period of a day and a half.
The defendant will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
The defense offered testimony from several expert witnesses in an attempt to prove extraordinary mitigation, which could have permitted a sentence other than active imprisonment.
The prosecution countered by showing the body camera footage of the fatal incident along with the defendant’s statement to agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI).
“This was a difficult and deeply troubling case. Although the victim fled from law enforcement, that conduct did not justify the use of deadly force or diminish the value of the victim’s life,” Catawba County District Attorney Scott Reilly said. “Our office strongly opposed the defense’s request for extraordinary mitigation, and we agree with the Court’s decision that an active prison sentence was required. We respect the Court’s decision and the rule of law.”
Uribe was charged with murder after the NCSBI investigation determined that he kicked and shot Childers after he surrendered and was no longer deemed a threat on the night of the incident.
Investigation of the case showed that Childers had led law enforcement in other jurisdictions on two chases prior to Newton police officers engaging in an attempt to stop him.
Childers rode his bike into a cul-de-sac near Wal Mart in Conover and reached a point where he no longer could get away from officers. Uribe pulled his patrol car into a position that made contact with the motorcycle, knocking it and its rider to the ground.
Uribe’s body camera footage captures the officer telling the victim to get on the ground, and Childers clearly has his hands up in surrender.
The footage shows that Uribe approached Childers then kicked him in the stomach. A gunshot is heard, and Childers says, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! He shot me! He shot me! He shot me! He shot me!”
Uribe is heard on the body camera footage saying, “You don’t go for somebody’s gun … .”
The video shows no evidence that Childers had a gun or made an attempt to get a gun.
Childers was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The autopsy findings showed that he died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the upper left chest.
“Law enforcement officers perform an exceptionally difficult and dangerous job, and deserve the support of our community,” DA Reilly said. “However, the significant authority entrusted to an officer carries an equally significant duty to exercise that authority lawfully. No individual is above the law, and meaningful accountability is essential when an unjustified use of force results in the loss of life.
“We hope that today’ sentencing provides some measure of accountability for the victim’s family and reinforces the public’s trust that these cases will be evaluated fairly, independently and according to the law.”
Emily Prewitt and Josh Hawks handled the investigation for the NCSBI. Assistant District Attorney Kyle Smith prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Amy Bishoff.