Family of man killed in downtown officer-involved shooting, reveals images of damaged car
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The family of Edilberto Espinoza Sierra, who was killed in an officer-involved shooting in downtown Wilmington earlier this year, says it will meet with New Hanover and Pender County District Attorney Jason Smith to discuss the case and review police body camera footage from the incident.
The meeting comes after prosecutors determined that officers involved in the shooting acted within North Carolina law and cleared them of any wrongdoing.
This comes after the family shared photos with WWAY showing his heavily damaged blue Dodge Charger. The images show multiple bullet holes in the hood and passenger-side door, as well as front-end damage from the vehicle striking another car as Espinoza Sierra attempted to drive away after authorities say he refused officers’ commands to stop.
Additional photos taken inside the vehicle show shattered glass scattered across the seats and bullet holes through the driver’s side headrest. Genesis Espinoza, the victim’s sister, believes one of those rounds was the fatal shot.
“I can conclude it made contact simply because when I viewed his corpse, he did have a bullet wound in that very same spot where his head would’ve been,” she said in a statement.
The shooting involved officers with the Wilmington Police Department and deputies with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Following the incident, the officers were placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation was conducted, a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.
After reviewing the investigation, District Attorney Jason Smith concluded the officers’ use of deadly force was justified under North Carolina law, which permits law enforcement officers to use deadly force when they reasonably believe there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.
