By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

CONCORD — No charges have been filed as of today against a Kannapolis firefighter accused of shooting a Charlotte man following a Thursday night altercation in Concord.

Firefighter Ryan Cochran has been suspended with pay pending investigation results, according to the Independent Tribune.

According to published reports, Cochran and his girlfriend were traveling on Concord-Salisbury Road when they were followed by a vehicle. The vehicle followed the two for several miles and eventually Cochran stopped at the intersection of Plott Drive and Charing Lane.

A physical altercation occurred between Cochran, 22, of Concord, and David Robert Pittarelli, 33, of Charlotte. Pittarelli was shot and later died at the scene.

The City of Kannapolis issued a brief statement today expressing their thoughts and prayers for both the Pittarelli and Cochran families.

“This is a tragedy for everyone involved,” spokeswoman Annette Privette Keller said. “We will cooperate with the Concord Police Department and the Cabarrus County District Attorney’s Office in their investigation of this very unfortunate incident,”

Cochran joined the fire department in 2012.