A North Carolina deputy has been placed on administrative leave after a fatal shooting of a Black man that sparked a local protest, a sheriff's office said Monday.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Deputy Jeffrey Hash has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Hash has been with the sheriff’s office since 2005.
The Fayetteville Police Department said a preliminary investigation determined Jason Walker, 37, “ran into traffic and jumped on a moving vehicle” Saturday. The off-duty deputy shot Walker and then called 911, police said. Walker was pronounced dead at the scene.
A group of protesters gathered outside police headquarters Sunday disputed the department's account.
Elizabeth Ricks, who said she witnessed the incident and applied pressure to Walker’s wound, told the crowd that Walker was attempting to cross the street to get to his home when he was struck by the deputy’s truck and then shot by Hash.
Ricks told The News & Observer of Raleigh she was on the scene and watched the entire situation unfold.
Fayetteville police Chief Gina Hawkins said during a news conference Sunday that investigators examined the black box computer of the truck, which did not record any impact with any person or thing.
In bystander video of the shooting’s aftermath, it appears the off-duty deputy had been driving a red truck that wasn’t a law enforcement vehicle. She said the only person at the scene who indicated they witnessed what happened said Walker was not struck by the truck.
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