Winston-Salem police say information should have been released earlier in shooting of top Robinson aide

Winston-Salem’s chief of police says the department should have been more forthright with information about a shooting that occurred early New Year’s Day in which a top aide to former Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson was injured.

The shooting took place more than two weeks ago but police didn’t provide details of the incident until late Thursday night.

Police Chief William Penn acknowledged that police should have released information about the shooting earlier. 

In a video posted on Facebook, he also admitted that officers hadn’t spoken directly to the victim, Krishana Polite.

“I prefer we had done that," he says. "However, our officers had been in contact with the mother who was right next to her. So, Ms. Polite would have had access to everything that was going on through her mother, who had been in contact with officers.”

The shooting occurred outside of St. Peter’s Church and World Outreach Center during a New Year’s Eve celebration. Polite was taken to the hospital with a serious injury after being shot but survived the incident.

Polite served as former Lt. Governor Mark Robinson’s chief of staff. Penn says the investigation is ongoing but there’s no evidence that Polite was targeted.