An off-duty police officer who fatally shot a man in North Carolina will not be charged with a crime.
Jeffrey Hash from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department killed Jason Walker, a 37-year-old Black man.
There was a conflict of interest with the local prosecutor so the investigation was sent to the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys.
A Prosecutor announced on April 21 that Hash would not face criminal charges in the fatal shooting.
Hash was driving in Fayetteville with his wife and daughter when Walker ran into the middle of the street, about 30 feet away from the vehicle.
Hash said Walker ran and jumped on the hood of his truck and ripped off a windshield wiper. Walker began bashing the windshield with it to the point that “shards of glass were coming into the truck and hitting Hash and his wife.”
While yelling at Walker to stop, Hash got out of the vehicle and grabbed his gun.
The off-duty Officer shot Walker four times at close range.
Emergency personnel arrived and pronounced Walker dead at the scene.
Not knowing the shooter was an officer, Walker’s father told police his son, “was out here in the daggone street, and a fella drove up. He jumped up on the guy’s hood and the guy jumps out and shoots him.” His conversation with officers was seen on body-camera video.
Another video showed the windshield wiper next to Walker’s body after he was shot dead. Investigators decided that Hash acted in self-defense.
Walker’s family was represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Crump has also represented George Floyd’s family and others affected by police violence.
