Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

North Carolina Sheriff's Deputy Charged After Leading Armed 'Mob' That Tried To Force Its Way Into Black Family's Home

North Carolina Sheriff's Deputy Charged After Leading Armed 'Mob' That Tried To Force Its Way Into Black Family's Home
WECT News

A mother and son's relaxing Sunday night at home suddenly turned scary and dangerous when an all-white crowd of armed local residents demanded entry into their home.

The mob eventually dispersed after realizing it had the wrong house, but not before creating an alarming scene in the doorway.


Monica Shepard and her son, Dameon live in Pender County, North Carolina. They aimed to spend their recent Sunday night quietly: Monica heading to sleep early and Dameon remaining awake to play video games.

The peaceful night at home came to an abrupt halt when a large mob arrived at the Shepard's front door.

WECT reports that when Dameon answered the door the group—composed entirely of White people—demanded information about a local missing girl, according to a letter written by the Shepard's attorney, James Lea.

Monica and Dameon Shepard are both Black. 

Lea's letter, which was addressed to the Pender County District Attorney, goes on to provide even more details about the incident. The crowd arrived at the Shepard's hoping to find someone named Josiah, a possible connection to the missing child. Josiah had lived in the house next door but moved away a month prior.

And even though Dameon repeatedly identified himself, the mob remained at the doorstep and pressed for more information, despite Dameon's complete lack of any knowledge at all. One person in the crowd carried an assault weapon and another held a shotgun. Among the mob's members was an armed and uniformed off-duty Sheriff's Deputy, J.T. Kita.

Lea's letter goes on to explain that when Dameon tried to close the door, Kita held it open with his foot and demanded entry. It was at this point that Monica Shepard awoke and came to her son's aid.

She told WECT what happened when she tried to shut the door. 

"[Deputy Kita] just said 'I'm going to step inside, close the door and talk to you guys.' And I said, 'no you're not.'"
"He had his foot on the threshold of my door, holding the door open and he said it again, he said 'I'm going to step inside close the door and I'll talk to you,' when I said 'no you're not,'"

When the facts became clearer the mob dispersed, only to return again as illegitimate backup when more Sheriff Deputies arrived at the house on account of the disturbance.

Nobody in the mob was charged or questioned.

Lea's letter to the DA demands greater accountability for the trespassing group: 

"We obviously cannot have armed groups of citizens patrolling the streets of Pender County or New Hanover County terrorizing innocent families."
"Add to the fact that they were also accompanied by apparently a New Hanover County Sheriff's Deputy that was off duty and armed, makes this matter particularly egregious."

According to Yahoo! News, Deputy Kita has been fired and charged with trespassing, as well as breaking and entering. Another gun-toting member of the mob was charged with "going armed to the terror of the public."

May 8 Press Conference on 'vigilante group' in Pender Countyyoutu.be

All are misdemeanor charges.

After several outlets covered the story, people across the internet were quick to share their appalled responses to the incident.





Though the incident is all over with, Monica Shepard is still reeling from the horror of the nighttime threat. Unfortunately, she has no trouble seeing how this story could have ended.

"Coming to the door like that with a mob of people with guns what do we expect? What were their intentions? What if he was the person they were looking for or what if I was not home? What would've happened?"
"I don't want to have that conversation. I don't want him to be a statistic. It's scary."

More from Trending

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
DRM News/YouTube

Trump Ripped After Going Off On Bonkers Rant About Room's Decor During Cabinet Meeting

During Tuesday's cabinet meeting while the press was in attendance, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump gave a rambling stream of consciousness speech that went all over the place before landing on paint versus gold leaf, leading people to again question the POTUS' mental acuity amid a notable cognitive decline.

In a disjointed monologue about the decor in the cabinet room, Trump said he stole a grandfather clock from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and chose a painting of James Polk because the frame matched the frame around his favorite President—Andrew Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Eric Adams
@ericadamsfornyc/Instagram

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Roasted After Viewers Notice Awkward Detail In His 'Morning Routine' Video

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely mocked after he shared a video on social media of his "morning routine," with time stamps showing his activities—only for viewers to notice that a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of the video showed a very different time.

Adams jumped on the latest Instagram trend this week, sharing his version of a “morning routine” video with his followers. The trend, which has already begun to fade, typically features sped-up clips of people going through their early rituals—complete with edits, ambient music, and timestamp overlays.

Keep ReadingShow less