Father says 18-year-old son murdered by Southport Police officer

BOILING SPRING LAKES, NC (WWAY) — A Boiling Spring Lakes father says his son was murdered by police this afternoon.

Mark Wilsey says he called police when his 18-year-old, 90 lb. son had a screwdriver that he would not let go. But Wilsey says he never expected calling for help would end with son being shot and killed by someone sworn to serve and protect.

Wilsey says his son, Keith Vidal, had schizophrenia and was having an episode Sunday afternoon at their home on the 1100 block of President Road in Boiling Spring Lakes

He says his son had about a six-inch screwdriver and was threatening to fight his mother, so they called police to calm him down.

Wilsey says everything was under control until a third officer arrived, and the situation took a dramatic turn.

“Murder. They murdered our son for no reason,” Wilsey said. “Everything was going good, then this fat cop from Southport walks in the room, walks around the corner, says, ‘We don’t have time for this. Tase that kid now. Let’s get him out of here.'”

Wilsey says like any teenage boy, his son tried to run when he heard the word tase.

“The tasers hit him, he fell back. Two officers were on top of him. You know, he’s got the little screwdriver. I mean, I would have went and got the screwdriver from him. I went to help, and I hear a shot,” Wilsey said.

Wilsey says he grabbed the officer so he could not shoot again.

“‘What did you shoot my son for?'” Wilsey said he asked the officer. “(The officer said,) ‘Well, I’m protecting my officers.’ There was no reason for deadly force here.”

Now Vidal’s family is left mourning their loved one.

“It’s hard to talk about,” Vidal’s brother Mark Ryan Wilsey said. “But he just wanted to keep to himself, but he really was just an outgoing kid. He loved to do stuff. He was talking about coming and pressure washing working with me in the summertime.”

Vidal’s brother says he was enrolled in online classes, and trying to better himself. But now Mark Ryan Wilsey says that has been taken from him.

“The kid is 18,” Wilsey added. “He hasn’t even started his life yet, and now he’ll never get the chance to.”

Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David was at the scene shortly after the shooting.

Officials say the State Bureau of Investigations is looking into the case.

The officer involved has been put on administrative leave according to Southport Police Chief Jerry Dove.