Officer fired, under investigation after attempting to force way inside house while off duty: Cops

[Judi Lynn]

Source: ABC News


Teen repeatedly ID'd himself as not the suspect, according to investigators.
By
Ivan Pereira
May 11, 2020, 2:40 PM
5 min read

A North Carolina officer was fired and is under criminal investigation after he allegedly gathered a group of people and tried to break into a teen's home while searching for a missing person, prosecutors said.

New Hanover & Pender County District Attorney Ben David charged Jordan Kita, a former deputy with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, with "forcible trespass, misdemeanor breaking and entering, and willful failure to discharge duties," for the incident that took place on May 3, David's office said. Monica Shepard told reporters that her son Dameon answered loud knocks to the door of their Pender County home and were allegedly confronted by Kita and other men, who were armed. Shepard and her son are both black; Kita and the group that confronted them are white.

Kita, who was off-duty but allegedly had his weapon and uniform, said they were looking for a missing girl and came to the address looking for a suspect with a different name, according to the mother and son. Dameon Shepard said he was confused since there was a sign on the lawn that announced his graduation from Laney High School with his name on it.

. . .

Monica Shepard said she tried to step in and told Kita he had to leave. The officer allegedly said, "Well, I'm just going to step inside and close the door and talk to you guys," and put his foot in the door, according to Shepard.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/officer-fired-investigation-attempting-force-inside-house-off/story?id=70616744

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Monica Shepard, Jordan Kita, Dameon Shepard.

NC deputy led armed all-white group to black teen's home in search for missing girl, authorities say. Now he faces charges.
Associated Press May 10, 2020

WILMINGTON — A sheriff's deputy in North Carolina is facing criminal charges after authorities said he led a group of armed people to the wrong home in a search for a missing girl.

New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David said Friday that Jordan Kita, who worked in the New Hanover Sheriff's Office, will be charged with trespassing and breaking and entering.

Kita led an armed group May 3 to the home of Dameon Shepard, a senior at Laney High School in Wilmington, according to James W. Lea, a lawyer for Shepard’s family who is preparing a civil lawsuit.

The all-white group tried unsuccessfully to force its way into the home of Shepard, who is black, news outlets reported.

Kita was looking for Lekayda Kempisty, a 15-year-old girl who was reported missing earlier that day. She was later found safe.

More:
https://www.greensboro.com/news/state/nc-deputy-led-armed-all-white-group-to-black-teens-home-in-search-for-missing/article_9a82099e-c71f-5dbb-9e7c-165576fd9496.html

[mr_lebowski]

1. Something tells me that the 'oops, wrong house' part of the story arose later.

I kinda suspect that's the exact house they were meaning to barge into.

Could be wrong, but ...

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Couple of things:

1. Even if the deputy was on duty, no warrant. Big problem.

2. As the deputy was off duty, he was a civilian, making his actions that of a vigilante. And he brought "friends." Big problem. You can't have citizens taking the law into their own hands. This is kind of like the mindset of the NRA where the messaging is to arm yourselves as you can't trust the police to protect you.

3. Obviously there is a racist underpinning behind this action and the missing girl was an excuse. It seems as thought the true motivation was to terrorize African-Americans in the Jim Crow tradition.

[Thomas Hurt]

3. Modern day night riders

[R Merm]

6. The deputy was not even in the county that he was an officer.

As reprehensible as it was, the event was not random terror. The "suspect" had once lived next door to the home that was invaded and the deputy was a relation of the missing girl. The mob refused to believe that the young man was giving his correct name, even though his name was on the graduation sign on his front lawn. Eventually the crowd began to realize they were making a mistake but the deputy wouldn't give up. The crowd returned when the police, summoned by the mother, arrived. Presumably, they thought the police were there to back them up, not to protect the family.

There is still no possible way to defend the extra-legal actions of the deputy or his "posse," nor to justify the attempted coverup by the sheriff's office.

[iluvtennis]

9. + 1. nt

[live love laugh]

4. Wonder how much his GoFundMe account balance is by now ...

[Marcuse]

5. Emmitt Till 2020

[RVN VET71]

7. A friend of mine used to like to say

Never attribute to malice that which can be better explained by stupidity.

In this case, however, I think both malice and stupidity are working together.

[cstanleytech]

8. I hope the prosecutor for the case does not plea bargain this down to a slap on the wrist.

[Aristus]

10. The deputy has the requisite douche-smirk down cold.

I want to knock all of that motherfucker's teeth down his throat...