Cop accused in teen’s death to get bench trial

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — A Southport Police officer charged with shooting and killing a mentally ill teenager will not have his case tried in front of a jury.

A judge in Brunswick County today granted Bryon Vassey’s motion for a bench trial. That means a judge will render a verdict on Vassey’s charge of voluntary manslaughter in the January 2014 death of Keith Vidal, 18. Vassey’s attorney James Payne argued there was too much publicity of the case in area news media for an impartial jury to be seated for a trial.

Vassey’s trial was set to start this week, but it was continued last week until April.

Vassey shot and killed Vidal while responding to a call at the teen’s Boiling Spring Lakes home on Jan. 5, 2014.

Payne has said that Vassey shot Vidal, who was schizophrenic, because he was trying to stab one of two other officers who were trying to subdue him, even after Vidal has been tased.