From the Greensboro News and Record (12/23/09): A judge’s ruling on whether to release police dash cam videos of the moments that led up to the fatal shooting of a UNC-Chapel Hill student by Archdale police in August won’t come until at least next week, a court official said Wednesday morning.
A court official said Randolph County Superior Court Judge Brad Long is taking additional time to review motions and briefs from attorneys from the family of the deceased 21-year-old student Courtland Smith and from media outlets that seek the videos be released.
Smith was killed by Archdale police early Aug. 23 when they responded to reports of a 911 call from a man driving southbound on Interstate 85 drunk, armed with a handgun reporting to be suicidal.
A traffic stop was conducted at Exit 108 by two Archdale officers around 4:45 a.m.
After Smith reportedly refused to officers’ demands to show his hands, he was reported to have came at an officer with an unknown black object, prompting the officer to open fire, according to the Randolph County District Attorney’s office.
Smith was shot four times and died later at a local hospital. The shooting was ruled justified by the district attorney.
Multiple media outlets have taken legal action to obtain police dash cam videos of the moments that led up to the shooting on the stance it is in the public’s interest to have full disclosure in the matter.
Smith’s family has filed a motion to prevent the videos from being released, citing it would cause ‘irreparable and needless harm to the memory of their son, and to his family and close friends who survive him.’
A hearing on the matter was held last Friday and Long said he needed time to review arguments made in court from both sides before rendering a decision. Initially, the judge expected to make a ruling this week.
State law allows the videos to be released at the court’s discretion.
by Ryan Seals, News & Record Staff Writer