On July 9, 2019, Darnell Harris, a 48-year-old African American man and long-time employee at a Steak ’n Shake in Charlotte, North Carolina, was shot and killed during an armed robbery at about 11:30 a.m. The robber, Eddie Doh, entered the restaurant wearing a mask and armed with a gun. Harris intervened to protect coworkers and customers and was fatally shot during the confrontation. Pineville Police officers who responded after multiple 911 calls shot Doh; he was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

After recovering, Doh was charged with multiple crimes and in January 2021 pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, attempted murder, and assault on a police officer. He received a sentence of at least 30 years. Family and friends remembered Harris as a hero who gave his life protecting others; his brother Brendan Ruffin said the sentence brought some closure but not an end to the pain.