CMPD arrests Dean Antonio Tate in targeted west Charlotte homicide after early-morning vehicle pursuit

Arrest follows March 2024 killing on Scottview Drive

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a west Charlotte homicide that occurred in the Freedom Division on March 21, 2024. The victim was identified as Robert Long, 53, and police said his next of kin was notified.

The suspect, Dean Antonio Tate, 48, was taken into custody during the early morning hours of March 22, 2024, after officers attempted to stop a vehicle they said was connected to the case. Police said Tate fled, leading to a vehicle pursuit that ended at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Law Enforcement Center in Uptown, at 601 E. Trade St. Tate was taken into custody without incident, interviewed by homicide detectives, and then transferred to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.

What police say happened at the scene

Investigators said patrol officers responded just after 6:30 p.m. on March 21, 2024, to an “assault with a deadly weapon with injury” call in the 8000 block of Scottview Drive. On arrival, officers found Long suffering from multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police described the incident as isolated and said preliminary information indicated the victim and suspect knew each other.

Charges filed after the arrest

Following Tate’s arrest, police announced the following charges:

• First-degree murder
• First-degree kidnapping
• Discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle

How the investigation advanced

Police said community assistance helped investigators identify Tate as a suspect and obtain warrants for his arrest. Crime Scene Search personnel processed the scene and collected physical evidence, while representatives from CMPD’s Operations Command, Victim Services, MEDIC, and West Mecklenburg County Fire Department assisted at the location.

The case remains active and ongoing, and police have asked anyone with information to contact the department’s tip line and speak directly with a Homicide Unit detective.

Context: how Freedom Division incidents compare in recent CMPD summaries

In a CMPD summary report that aggregates violent-crime incidents by patrol division for partial-year periods, the Freedom Division recorded 63 homicides from Jan. 1 through Sept. 23, 2024, and 70 homicides from Jan. 1 through Sept. 23, 2025. The same report notes totals are report-based and do not conform to federal UCR counting rules, underscoring that year-to-year comparisons in such summaries can be sensitive to reporting definitions and time windows.

For this homicide investigation, police referenced report number 20240321-1837-00.