FIRST ON 3: Two officers cleared in use of force investigations leave WPD
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Two Wilmington Police officers cleared in use of force investigations in the last year are no longer with the department.
A WPD spokeswoman says Stafford Brister and Ian Lovell both left their jobs effective Sunday.
Brister, who a WPD spokeswoman says resigned after more than 22 years with the department, was the K9 handler who put his dog into a car driven by Johnnie Williams after Williams drove through a police checkpoint on Halloween night 2013. A New Hanover County grand jury declined to indict Brister of any wrongdoing in December 2013. The same grand jury indicted Williams for assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, felony flee to elude arrest, reckless driver to endanger and habitual felon.
In January, Chief Ralph Evangelous said Brister would return to work, but as a patrol officer. The city later donated his K9 to the Fair Bluff Police Department.
A WPD spokeswoman says Lovell retired. Records show he was a week shy of 10 years with the department.
Lovell shot and killed Grace Louise Denk in late January. Lovell and another officer responded to a call about Denk, a CFCC student and former Marine, who was upset and threatening to kill herself. Police say she had a gun when they encountered her in her car.
After an investigation, WPD and the District Attorney said Lovell used justifiable deadly force, though Denk’s family disagrees.
Leave a Reply