District Attorney Ben David announced that officers involved in last week’s shootout with an armed suspect will not face any criminal charges.
While the officers have been cleared, the State Bureau of Investigation is still reviewing the case. David said more information about the shooting, and potentially the incidents leading up to it, would be released when the SBI is finished.
David said the officers should return to active duty as soon as they are able. He cited traffic video released today by the City of Wilmington. Unlike police video, like body cam footage, traffic cam video can be released in North Carolina without a court order.
Below: Video released by the Wilmington Police Department of the west-facing traffic camera on Market Street near the College Road overpass. Footage may be disturbing for some viewers.
The shooting took place last Friday afternoon on a busy stretch of Market Street after a suspect who was fleeing police got out of his vehicle and opened fire on officers.
Three New Hanover Sheriff’s deputies and one Wilmington Police Department returned fire, fatally wounding William Brent Gilmore, the 35-year-old suspect in a string of violent gun-related crimes leading up to the shooting.
The video shows officers engaged in what appears to be a close-range gun battle with the suspect in the middle of Market Street near the intersection of College Road. The fatal conclusion of the shootout appears to be occluded by tree foliage.
“As the video makes clear, the shooting death of William Brent Gilmore was legally justified and consistent with the officers' training. Their swift action may very well have saved other lives. No officer will face any criminal charges. They should be allowed to return to active duty as soon as they are able,” David said.
Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams said three deputies and one officer would be recognized for their actions by their respective agencies in the near future.
“As displayed in the video, the heroic actions of our officers and the deputies last week undoubtedly saved numerous lives and helped put an end to a criminal rampage,” Williams said.