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A little more than two months after he was fatally shot by a Dare County Sheriff’s Deputy, the family of Sylvester Demetrius Selby has filed a lawsuit naming the deputy reportedly involved, Edward Glaser III, as well as Dare County Sheriff Doug Doughtie, as defendants. The listed plaintiff is Legacy Spencer, the Administrator of Selby’s estate.
The suit was filed on Dec. 7 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the attorney representing Selby’s family is well-known civil rights attorney Harry Daniels. The claims being brought include a federal constitutional claim, Wrongful Death and Battery and Assault against the named defendants.
The initial information regarding the case came in a statement released shortly after the Oct. 2 incident by the Dare County Sheriff’s office indicating that Selby came at law enforcement personnel with a knife. The deputy involved was placed on administrative leave and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has been handling the investigation prior to sending findings to the office of District Attorney Jeff Cruden.
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Selby’s family has been able to view the body camera footage privately of the incident and members contend that the death of the 44-year-old Manteo man was an unjust killing during a mental health episode. Selby’s family has stated that he suffered from diabetes and a thyroid disorder and was struggling with mental health issues in the wake of recent deaths of family members.
The Dec. 7 suit contends that “At the time, Mr. Selby was shot and killed by Deputy Glaser, he posed no threat to law enforcement, others or himself.” It also brings a new element into the account of the incident, the statement that Selby was suffering from a stab wound to the heart at the time.
In the chain of events outlined in the suit, the plaintiffs state that at about 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 2, a 911 call was made requesting medical assistance for Selby. It states that he exited the home in response to commands from law enforcement personnel. Noting the Selby was “holding a kitchen knife in one hand and an apple in the other in a non-threatening manner,” the account adds that he was also ordered to put the knife down, to which he replied “okay” also raised both hands above his head.
Then, according to the suit, “as he was walking down the steps, Selby stumbled on the last step before reaching the ground,” and stumbled over a bicycle. “As Mr. Selby was falling,” it continues, “Deputy Glaser fired his weapon striking him,” from about 25 feet away. The account alleges that Glaser, who was yelling at Selby to stop moving, then shot him two additional times while he was on his hands and knees, leading to his death shortly thereafter.
The Dare County Sheriff’s Department did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the litigation.
