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First Judicial District DA Jeff Cruden has issued a statement noting that he has informed Currituck Sheriff Matt Beickert “that in my opinion the actions of Deputy D. Turner on September 14, 2024, were lawful and justified under the circumstances he found himself that day.”
Turner was the principal in an officer-involved shooting that day, and his case was investigated by the NC State Bureau of Investigation before being turned over to Cruden for a decision on whether to pursue criminal charges.
The day after the shooting, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office provided some details, stating that “the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office was notified of several vehicles that were operating in a careless and reckless manner, exceeding well over the speed limits, running red lights and passing in the turn lane.”
The group of vehicles, the account continued, “was traveling north on Caratoke Hwy. in the Poplar Branch area. Shortly thereafter, Deputies located the vehicles and attempted to take enforcement action by way of a traffic stop, however, the group did not stop for law enforcement. A pursuit ensued, eventually leading law enforcement and the suspect vehicle down Worth Guard Rd. in Coinjock. At the end of Worth Guard Rd, law enforcement encountered the vehicle, and the Deputy fired his weapon, striking the suspect.” The Sheriff’s Office indicated at that time that the suspect was transported to Norfolk General Hospital and was in stable condition.
Cruden added that he also recommended to Sheriff Beickert that Deputy Turner should be permitted to return to full active duty once he has satisfied any requirements of the Sheriff’s Office, if any.
“In forming my opinion I reviewed the report of the initial speeding to elude incident prepared by the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the report on the officer involved shooting (OIS) prepared by the NC State Bureau of Investigation, and the video from the Deputy’s body worn camera, among other things,” Cruden said.
