Latest news with #SalisburyPolice
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Outrage as cop who was accused of torturing K-9 dog lands new job as a sheriff's deputy
A North Carolina sheriff's office has been slammed after hiring a deputy who resigned from another department after he was accused of torturing a police K-9 dog. Deputy James Hampton quit the Salisbury Police Department in 2021 after viral footage appeared to show him dangling a police dog named Zuul by its leash, slamming it against a patrol car and hitting it. The incident, which was filmed during a training session, sparked nationwide outrage at the time. More than 93,000 people signed the petition demanding his termination. WCNC revealed that Hampton was quietly sworn in last month as a deputy for the Union County Sheriff's Office. The move has angered activists, the public and local residents. 'There is no scenario where hitting, slamming and choking a dog is called for,' Rachel Bellis of PETA told the outlet. 'You can see the other officers scrambling to turn off their cameras. I'm sure they must've known that this was not the correct behavior to have with that dog.' Union County resident Angel Thompson said she is concerned about the agency's hiring standards: '[It] makes me question a lot of things. If you're going to hire somebody like that, what kind of other stuff are you willing to overlook. It's a stressful thing.' has reached out to the Union County Sheriff's Office for comment. There had been no response at the time of writing. In 2021 the Salisbury Police Department shared in a press release that Officer Hampton had tendered his resignation before the department formalized any potential disciplinary action against him. The department announced that it was naming Hampton in a bid 'to restore and maintain the public confidence that has been detrimentally affected by this incident.' An 'extensive investigation' was conducted at the time by the US ISS Agency, a third-party watchdog, which determined that Hampton acted in 'a manner entirely inconsistent with his K-9 training and had violated police department policy.' The agency recommended that Hampton be terminated. A due process hearing did take place for the officer before he submitted his resignation. The department added then that it will continue to review and make changes to their k-9 training operations, policies and procedures. Footage of the incident, which is almost a minute long, shows the dog exit the car and get immediately scolded by the handler. The officer then puts the leash on the dog before picking it up and dragging the German Shepherd over his shoulder. He proceeds to slam the dog into the side of the patrol car before putting the K-9 inside the vehicle. 'We're good, no witnesses,' the man says with a chuckle before repeatedly inquiring whether the other officers at the scene have their cameras on. At one point in the clip it appears that the officer strikes the dog.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Mob' of juveniles at festival put cop and deputy in hospital, NC sheriff says
A police officer and sheriff's deputy ended up in the hospital after they tried to quell a large brawl involving minors attending a town festival, according to investigators. The fight erupted late in the day Saturday, May 17, at Salisbury's popular Cheerwine Festival, which attracts as many as 50,000 people. Salisbury Police officers and Rowan County deputies learned of a fight in progress and discovered as many as 10 people attacking each other, all believed to be minors, the Salisbury Police Department reported in a news release. 'Law officers were able to stop the fight, but not before one officer ... and one Rowan County Sheriff's Deputy sustained injuries,' police said. 'The Salisbury Police Officer was transported to Novant Hospital and diagnosed with a severe concussion. The Rowan County Deputy was transported to Novant Hospital and later hospitalized due to a fractured hip.' Details of how the injuries occurred were not released. The minors involved were detained, but the police department was 'denied' secure custody orders to arrest them, police said. As a result, 'the juveniles were then released to their parent(s),' police said. An age range for the minors was not released, and police did not report why the custody orders for arrests were denied. Rowan County Sheriff J. Travis Allen said the violence was caused by 'a mob of uncontrolled and unsupervised minors' and he noted the hospitalized deputy 'will most likely suffer with the results of this injury the rest of his life.' 'I am extremely angered and concerned that these (minors) were released from custody with no immediate consequences for their actions nor any regard for the safety of the community,' Allen said in a release. 'I am requesting that the North Carolina State Department of Juvenile Justice grant 'secure custody orders' on every minor involved in the incident. The City of Salisbury Police and the Rowan County Sheriff's Office should be granted the authority to re-arrest these individuals and hold them accountable for their actions.'
BBC News
17-04-2025
- BBC News
Family release tribute to beloved toddler Teddy
The family of a toddler who died in a crash have issued a year old Teddy Britten Goddard died in a road traffic collision on 28 people were injured after their grey Skoda Karoq collided with a white Peugeot 208 on the eastbound A303 in a statement, Teddy's family said: "It's with a truly broken heart that I say our gorgeous boy gained his wings today." "He was truly the sweetest most loving little character that we were blessed to have," they added."Our hearts are shattered into pieces. Teddy Jason this isn't a goodbye just a see you later."Salisbury Police said the thoughts of those who attended the incident and the whole of Wiltshire Police are with Teddy's family at this time.
