A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a Black man who jumped onto his moving pickup truck has been placed on administrative leave, authorities said.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office placed Lt. Jeffrey Hash on leave pending an investigation into the death of Jason Walker. Walker, 37, was killed just after 2 p.m. Saturday.
Hash, who is assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Civil Section and has been with the agency since 2005, was off duty and said he was driving when someone jumped on his truck. The deputy, who was in the vehicle with his daughter, said Walker was screaming and beating on the windshield.
He called 911 and then shot Walker, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Hash was taken into police custody afterwards for questioning, authorities said.
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Investigators with the NC SBI have assumed the investigation surrounding the shooting involving Jason Walker, who was shot by an off-duty Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputy. (Fayetteville Police Department)
The 911 call lasted approximately four minutes and was answered at 2:18 p.m., The Associated Press reported. Hash gave the operator his location on the southwest side of Fayetteville and told her what happened.
“I just had a male jump on my vehicle and broke my windshield. I just shot him,” said Hash, who only identified himself as a lieutenant with the sheriff’s office.
Fox News has reached out to Hash’s attorney.
During a Monday news conference, Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins said the truck’s “black box” did not contain any record of impact before the shooting.
Investigators also noted that a windshield wiper had been torn off, and a metal portion was used to break the windshield of the truck in several places, she said.
Police body-worn cameras recorded people at the scene saying they did not witness the incident, the chief said. She asked anyone with footage of the incident to provide it to the state Bureau of Investigation, the lead agency on the case.
The FBI said it’s in regular contact with local and state authorities about the case.
“If, in the course of the North Carolina SBI investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate,” an agency spokesperson told Fox News.
Ben Crump, the attorney for Walker’s family, said Walker was shot in the back as he tried to return home, which was less than 100 yards away.
“We have reason to believe that this was a case of ‘shoot first, ask later,’ a philosophy seen all too often with law enforcement,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
The shooting has resulted in protests for two days straight.
Pandora Harrington holds up a sign with an image of Jason Walker during a demonstration in front of the Fayetteville Police Department on Sunday.
A social media user posted a video claiming that it shows the scene where the shooting occurred. The driver of a pickup truck appears on the phone as a small crowd gathers nearby.
“People are hostile right now,” someone is heard saying.
“No one is hostile right now. Don’t you (expletive) say that,” a man replies.
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Another man is seen lying on the pavement as a woman appears to render aid.
“I don’t know where the entry point is,” she is heard saying. “He won’t tell me where he shot him.”
