Cape Fear law enforcement agencies: unqualified volunteers don’t carry weapons

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — After a man is shot by a reserve deputy in Tulsa, Oklahoma we asked about the volunteers at Cape Fear law enforcement agencies.

A man is dead after investigators say he was shot by a volunteer deputy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The reserve deputy is facing manslaughter charges after shooting a man during a chase.

During a sting operation Eric Harris was allegedly selling a stolen gun. Harris then runs from police. During the struggle on the ground, Reserve Deputy Robert Bates shoots Harris.

Bates says he meant to use his taser. The issue is Bates isn’t a sheriff’s deputy. He’s a certified volunteer peace officer.

Both the New Hanover County and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Offices have volunteers who are not trained in law enforcement and others who are.

Lieutenant Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and Emily Flax with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office say while their volunteers are able to patrol and be out in the public, their volunteers never have weapons.

New Hanover County has 25 reserve deputies or special deputies who have the same training as a full-time deputy. They just work part-time. Reserve deputies are volunteers as well.

“Our reserve deputies or special deputies go through every different bit of training that a normal deputy does. In service training, fire arms training, they are issued ballistics vests. They go through all the special training we put deputies through,” said Brewer.

Other volunteers on the other hand typically patrol neighborhoods and help with paperwork in the sheriff’s office or courthouse.

The Wilmington Police Department has 5 auxiliary officers who work for the department on a volunteer basis.

Linda Rawley, spokeswoman for the police department, says these are part-time officers who have all the training regular officers have.

“They have to complete a certain amount of hours. They have to put in a certain number of auxiliary hours,” said Rawley.