Detective on leave after officer involved shooting that killed teen
Posted: Jan 05, 2014 1:51 PM EST
Updated: Jan 06, 2014 4:12 PM EST
By: WECT Staff
BOILING SPRING LAKES, NC (WECT) - At least one detective from the Southport Police Department is on paid administrative leave after an officer involved shooting that happened at a home in Boiling Spring Lakes Sunday afternoon.
According to Chief Dove, Detective Byron Vassey was placed on leave in connection to his involvement in the shooting, though Dove would not confirm if Vassey was the one who pulled the trigger.
Vassey has been employed at the Southport Police Department since December 2004. This is the first time he's been placed on administrative leave.
The District Attorney's Office held a news conference Monday afternoon at 2:00 to discuss the incident. The family said they were not invited to the press conference, but showed up at anyway with signs, pictures and posters hoping for justice for their lost loved one.
According to a spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office, deputies were called to assist officers with the Boiling Spring Lakes Police Department with an initial response to a home on President Drive.
At the scene, Mark Wilsey said officers shot his son.
According to David, three officers were involved in the incident, but he couldn't release their names due to an ongoing investigation by the SBI that was requested by the district attorney and leaders of the three agencies that responded to the scene.
Wilsey said his family called the police to help with his schizophrenic son Keith Vidal who had a small screwdriver in his hand. Officers used at Taser on Vidal and then shot him, according to Wilsey.
Wilsey said officers came into their home after they called for backup help when Vidal was having a schizophrenic incident.
Wilsey said officers had his son down on the ground after the teen was tased a few times and an officer said, "we don't have time for this." That's when Wilsey says the officer shot in between the officers holding the teen down, killing his son.
"There was no reason to shoot this kid," Wilsey said. "They killed my son in cold blood. We called for help and they killed my son."
The family said police shot Vidal because he had a screwdriver in his hand. They said it was a tiny screwdriver, though, that would not have hurt anyone.
Both parents said they had to watch their son die in front of them. They said Vidal had just turned 18 years old and only weighed about 90 pounds.
Vidal's mother, also at the scene, said she could not understand what happened.
"Where is the justice, why did they shoot my son?," she asked. "This is what's wrong with our mental health system."
According to David, investigators responded to the scene immediately and began working as a team to start gathering evidence. The district attorney said investigations area a search for the truth, and he's confident that everyone involved will find the truth.
The family said they recently lost their daughter in a car accident and this is the second child they will have to bury.
Neighbors said Vidal played with their children and he never was violent. They said he had a history of depression and schizophrenia, but he was never harmful to others.
Vidal's mother said she had tried multiple times to get Vidal help for his mental illness. Emergency services treated her for a breakdown at the scene.
Vidal was apparently a student at South Brunswick High School. According to a spokesperson for the school, a crisis team was at the high school Monday to offer support for students and staff.
No other details are known at this time. Check back for more information as it becomes available.
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