Officer Madison Sweatt of the Monroe Police Department is welcomed back to duty. She was shot multiple times in late May.Screen Shot from Monroe PD Video
A Monroe, North Carolina, Police officer who was shot multiple times at a May 31 (2025) traffic stop has returned to work.
Officer Madison Sweatt was welcomed back to work on Monday August 4 (2025).
“We are grateful that she is alive,” said Lt. Morgan Malone.
Around 1:45 a.m. on May 31, an officer spotted a suspicious vehicle and gave pursuit, the Monroe PD said in a press release.
Supporting officers deployed spike strips, ending the pursuit.
The suspect opened fire on the officers, police say. Officer Sweatt was wounded.
A Monroe Police vehicle show bullet damage from the May 31 incident that wounded Officer Madison Sweatt.Monroe PD
“The suspect ran into a heavily wooded area. The Special Response Team (SRT) began a manhunt with K9s, a drone, and assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department helicopter,” the press release said.
The suspect was killed later that morning in an exchange of fire with SRT, police say.
Police identified the suspect as Joshua Hayden Sikes, 19.
“This suspect intended to kill our officer, and by the grace of God she’s alive right now. Everyone on our team followed their training and acted decisively to stop a deadly threat. We stand firmly behind their actions and are grateful that our officer will eventually be able to go home to her family,” said Monroe Police Chief Rhett Bolen.
The State Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.
Officer Sweatt is still recovering. She is scheduled for a surgery to remove a bullet from her shoulder, the City of Monroe said on Facebook.
