Last week, a North Carolina family alleged that an angry group of white residents in their area terrorized them at their home. Now, new surveillance footage captured by their neighbors has emerged that appears to substantiate those claims.
Earlier this month, James Lea, an attorney for the family of 18-year-old Dameon Shepard, wrote a letter detailing an incident that occurred on May 2nd.
Lea details how an all-white mob led by off-duty New Hanover County Sheriff’s deputy J.T. Kita “terrorized” the teenager and his family over what they believe was a case of mistaken identity.
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On the night in question the group – who was said to have been looking for a different teenager who no longer lived in the neighborhood – allegedly tried to force their way into the Shephards’ home to question him.
When Dameon’s mother, Monica Shepard, came to the door and attempted to shut out the group, then-Deputy Kita — armed and in uniform but out of his jurisdiction — allegedly prevented her from closing the door and demanded entry.
At least two other men in the group were also spotted carrying firearms including a shotgun and an assault weapon.
Lea also pointed out that Pender County deputies who responded to the disturbance were uncooperative and made no attempt to detain or even identify members of the volatile vigilante group.
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After the story made headlines, Kita was fired and charges were filed against him and another man named Austin Wood. Now, photos, surveillance videos, and even witnesses are emerging to back up the Shepards’ account of what took place.
In one video taken from a neighbor’s house, a man can be heard questioning another resident about the Black teenager Shepard was being mistaken for. In another video, you can hear Ms. Shepard’s terrified screams as she attempts to protect her child.
Another neighbor named “Thomas” described the scene as a “bunch of guys jumping out of their vehicles grabbing firearms,” but that “they seemed unorganized, just a bunch of people grabbing guns and running around,” and that he “saw a guy run to his truck to their front driveway, run back to his truck and grab an AR-15, and run back to their house. And after a little bit, I saw him run back to his truck and throw his gun in the backseat, maybe after he realized it was the wrong house.”
The group was allegedly looking for a Black teen named Josiah who they suspected of kidnapping a white teenage girl in the area. According to CNN, the Black teen the group was in search of had moved out of the neighborhood weeks before the incident. The girl was found later that night.
Given the outcome of the Ahmaud Arbery case, Shephard’s neighbors are happy they were able to be vigilant and capture evidence to help the family.
“We all look out for each other and our neighbors are going to notice their erratic driving and loud yelling,” explained Kelly Estes, a neighbor who took photographs after deputies arrived and also identified the voice on the surveillance video as Monica Shepard’s.
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