General News State group defends officers' actions in teen shooting death

edgy · Dec 5, 2014

The NCPBA says it has assigned local counsel for both Boiling Spring Lakes Officer John Thomas and Detective Bryon Vassey from the Southport Police Department after Sunday's incident. Vassey is currently on paid administrative leave with Southport.

On Sunday, Keith Vidal's parents called police for help after they say the 18-year-old was suffering from a schizophrenic episode and was carrying a screwdriver in his hand. At the scene, Vidal's stepfather Mark Wilsey said an officer shot and killed his son after a confrontation at their home on President Drive.

What happened

District Attorney Jon David has not named the three officers involved in the incident, because he said it is part of an ongoing State Bureau of Investigation query that he and other agencies requested.

David would not release any details about the investigation, but a Brunswick County event report she more light. According to the report, the first unit on scene was a Boiling Spring Lakes officer who arrived at 12:34 p.m. He was joined shortly after by two additional BSL officers and a Brunswick County Sheriff's Deputy.

The first unit on scene reported a confrontation in the hallway, but told Brunswick County Dispatchers several times that everything was OK.

Unit 104 from Southport arrived on the scene at 12:48:41, fourteen minutes after the first officer had already been on scene.

Seventy seconds later, Unit 104 radioed out that he had to fire shots at the subject in order to defend himself.

Law enforcement and the attorney for one of the officers have refused to comment on what took place to date, but the Police Benevolent Association described the activities Wednesday.

A release from the PBA says Officer Thomas was first to the scene. They say Vidal failed to comply with repeated requests to drop his weapon, so officers tased him. The PBA says after being tased, Vidal "made physical contact with Officer Thomas using the hand holding the deadly weapon."
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General News State group defends officers' actions in teen shooting death

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