© 2025 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910.343.1640
News Classical 91.3 Wilmington 92.7 Wilmington 96.7 Southport
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office deputy facing felony strangulation charge

A former New Hanover County sheriff’s deputy is facing felony strangulation charges. The deputy had resigned in October, not long after being demoted.

According to court records, Christopher Nicolas Hunter allegedly committed felony assault by strangulation and a domestic violence misdemeanor on Thanksgiving. The following Monday, December 2, he was served warrants and apparently surrendered at the New Hanover County courthouse.

Note: In most cases, WHQR does not release the names or identifying information of domestic violence survivors without consent.

According to the District Attorney’s office, he was given a $25,000 bond that secured bond; he is not currently in custody at the New Hanover County detention center.

Hunter was hired as a detention officer at the end of 2015 by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. He was promoted to deputy in 2018 and detective in 2021. In late July of this year, he was demoted back to deputy. Hunter resigned in late October.

Hunter's next court date is Thursday morning.

Ben Schachtman is a journalist and editor with a focus on local government accountability. He began reporting for Port City Daily in the Wilmington area in 2016 and took over as managing editor there in 2018. He’s a graduate of Rutgers College and later received his MA from NYU and his PhD from SUNY-Stony Brook, both in English Literature. He loves spending time with his wife and playing rock'n'roll very loudly. You can reach him at BSchachtman@whqr.org and find him on Twitter @Ben_Schachtman.