LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — A deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has been fired after he was found to have used excessive force, including a chokehold and stun gun, against a man he was arresting in Iron Station. That deputy, and a sergeant, are both being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
On Friday, a Superior Court Judge ruled that the body-worn camera footage of the incident be released.
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On Friday, May 28, deputies responded to a road rage incident near North Carolina Highway 73 and Will Link Lane in Iron Station Road, according to the sheriff's office. The investigation led deputies to a home on Asbury Church Rd. in Lincolnton where they found the subject involved in the road rage incident.
In the body camera videos, Deputy Tyler Thompson and Sergeant Aldon Sutton can be seen using force against the subject.
The body camera videos, which some may find disturbing, were posted to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office YouTube channel.
In the video, Thompson can be seen punching the subject in the face and using a stun gun against him in the back.
The use of force in this incident was investigated by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, as is done with all use of force incidents. After the investigation was completed, both deputies were suspended.
On Aug. 4, Deputy Thompson was terminated from his duties at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in relation to a series of excessive force incidents while acting as a deputy.
The SBI received a request from the District Attorney to investigate allegations of excessive force involving a deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and an arrestee on Aug. 8.
The subject involved in the incident is expected to appear in court on Aug. 19.
The incident remains under investigation by the SBI.