No charges in deadly Johnston County deputy-involved shooting near Garner: DA

GARNER, N.C. (WNCN) — No charges will be filed in a deadly deputy-involved shooting in Johnston County early this year, the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

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Officials said 63-year-old Anthony Jerome Richardson was shot and killed by a now former Johnston County deputy at his home in the 200 block of Madden Rose Loop near Garner just before noon on Jan. 25.

According to the district attorney’s office, deputies responded to the home after Richardson’s wife Dorleen reported he had been in the garage for two days with a firearm while acting irrationally and making threats. During his wife’s 911 call, Richardson could be heard firing his gun.

When deputies arrived, according to the district attorney’s office, Richardson’s wife opened the garage door for them. The deputies immediately encountered Richardson sitting in a chair with a gun in the garage, prompting them to take cover positions.

Officials said the deputy who fired the deadly shot ordered Richardson to put his gun down more than 40 times during a period of more than two minutes, but Richardson refused to comply and threatened to harm himself or others, at one point saying he was “going to kill somebody.”

After several minutes, according to the district attorney’s office, Richardson moved the gun from either his back or side to the front of his body, prompting the deputy to fire multiple shots. Richardson stood up and took three steps towards the deputy, leading the deputy to fire a final shot that struck Richardson.

According to the district attorney’s office, Richardson died at the scene.

Officials said Richardson’s gun was found near his body.

A review of the deputies’ body-worn cameras showed the gun fell out of Richardson’s hand four seconds before the final shot, but officials determined the deputy who fired the shot and the deputy closest to Richardson reasonably believed he was still armed as he walked towards law enforcement in a threatening manner, according to the district attorney’s office.

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Although the investigation considered Richardson’s mental health, including statements about him having post-traumatic stress disorder, officials said Richardson still presented an immediate threat of danger of others while armed and using a firearm, despite his mental health issues.

“[The deputy] reasonably perceived an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to himself and others when he used deadly force,” the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Based on the totality of the circumstances, the use of deadly force was justified under North Carolina law.”

CBS 17 spoke with Dorleen Richardson following the shooting, who said her husband served in the Army Special Forces as a medic and was diagnosed with PTSD.

Dorleen Richardson called for better training for law enforcement in situations where mental health may be a factor.

“There has to be a change with how PTSD and mental issues are handled,” she said the day after the shooting. “I do not think that because a person has mental issues, PTSD, bipolar, or anything that’s going on with them should be killed. That should be the last thing that happens to them.”

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