Durham DA won't seek charges in 3 officer-involved shootings

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Durham District Attorney declined to file criminal charges in three deadly shootings involving law enforcement officers.

In each case, the DA determined that the officers' use of force was justified.

Those shootings happened just days apart back in January.

The first shooting took place on Jan. 4 in Bahama, where Durham County deputy Timothy Price shot and killed Stephanie Wilson during a standoff.

The district attorney said Wilson pointed a shotgun at officers.

Then on Jan. 12, Durham police officer Richard Gamboa Jr. shot and killed Charles Piquet, who was attacking a convenience store clerk with a broken bottle at the time.

Two days later, Raishawn Jones grabbed a Durham police officer's gun in the Duke Hospital emergency department.

He was able to fire a shot before a Duke police officer, 1st Sgt. Lex Popovich, shot and killed him.

In the wake of that deadly shooting, District Attorney Satana Deberry is recommending policy changes at Duke University Hospital.

The major point of discussion is about having guns in the emergency department in the first place.

The district attorney said Monday night that officers should be required to store them before heading in.

The DA noted that the Durham officer who brought Jones into the ER had 18 rounds in his gun and an additional 36 in his belt.

if the officer had been required to lock and store his weapon when entering the emergency room, she said the "physical altercation would have little risk of injuring other people in the area that night."

Duke University said Monday that the events that night "will have a lasting impact on all of those involved - the team working in the emergency department, the witnesses, law enforcement officers and especially Jones' family

Duke told ABC11 that it is checking on whether its officers had body cameras in the first place.

ABC11 also reached out to DPD to request officer body camera now that the investigation has wrapped up.