CURRITUCK CO., N.C. — A Chesapeake man who was shot three times by a deputy in North Carolina is accused of eluding and using his car as a deadly weapon.
He denies the accusations against him, but leaders with the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office say the charges explain why the level of force was used.
WTKR News 3 is continuing to follow through on this case we told you about six weeks ago.
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It’s difficult for Jovi Nguyen to talk about after he said he got shot in the face and both of his arms.
The 27-year-old Chesapeake resident said he went to North Carolina for a car show with a group of buddies.
“Definitely traumatic. It was unexpected for sure. I never thought I’d be a victim of any type of shooting, never mind police shooting,” said Nguyen.
It happened on September 15. The sheriff’s office said they got multiple 911 calls about a group of cars driving recklessly, going well over the speed limit, running red lights, and passing in the turn lane.
Deputies said the dangerous driving behavior led to a pursuit of over 12 miles that ended on Worth Guard Road.
“As we were making a U-turn, we realized that the cops were behind us,” said Nguyen.
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He said another car drove off, which is when Nguyen said he saw the deputy pull out the gun.
“He quickly drew his gun, his firearm, and pointed it at me as he was walking towards my vehicle,” said Nguyen.
He said he could not understand what the officer was saying because his windows were up.
“He was to the front side of my headlight, that’s when he opened fire on me,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen is now charged with eluding and assault with a deadly weapon on a government official.
The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team asked the sheriff’s office why the deputy opened fire. They said the charges explain why the level of force was used by the deputy.
Nguyen denies the accusations against him. He says he panicked when he saw the gun pointed at him and claims he was trying to get his car out of the line of fire.
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His defense attorney, Matt Weinberg, explained what he believes happened: “There’s a gun pointed at my (Nguyen's) face. Let me try to get out of the fire. It’s fight or flight. That’s what your body is programmed to do.”
His lawyer says they’re filing a lawsuit in federal court.
“This is obviously conduct that is excessive and deadly force and it’s unauthorized,” said Weinberg.
The sheriff’s office said this is a 3-tier investigation — involving their internal investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, and the District Attorney’s Office.
“They’re all accusations. I know deep down that’s not what I did. I know the truth. I feel like the truth will come out,” said Nguyen.
There is body camera video of what happened, but we have not been able to see it yet.
The deputy is still on paid administrative leave, which is standard in this kind of situation.
