Raleigh officer who fired at SUV thought driver was trying to strike him, chief says

A police officer who fired shots Monday at a moving vehicle that had been reported stolen believed the driver was trying to strike him, according to a report from the Raleigh police chief.

Senior Officer J.C. Vucich fired two shots at the GMC Terrain as it was fleeing from a traffic stop near the intersection of Rock Quarry Road and Merrywood Drive after 4 p.m. Monday.

The incident, which drew criticism from witnesses who said the officer should not have fired a gun in a busy intersection during the afternoon commute, was detailed in a preliminary report released Friday by Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown.

The Wake County District Attorney and the State Bureau of Investigation were notified about the incident. The SBI declined to investigate because no one was injured, the report says.

“The Raleigh Police Department Internal Affairs Unit is in the process of conducting a criminal investigation of the shooting and will present its findings to the Wake County District Attorney for review,” Deck-Brown wrote. “The Detective Division of the Raleigh Police Department is conducting an investigation into matters related to the theft of the vehicle involved in this incident. Additionally, the Office of Professional Standards of the Raleigh Police Department is conducting an administrative investigation into the incident.”

The department’s policy says officers should not shoot at a moving vehicle, “due to the risks, and considering that firearms are not generally effective in bringing a moving vehicle to a rapid halt.”

There are exceptions, the policy says, including when “no other means are available ... to avoid or eliminate the danger because the vehicle is driving directly toward the officer or third person and there is no avenue of escape.”

Police have said Ronie Demitri Hyman, 22, of Addison Street in Raleigh was driving the SUV.

A 911 call at about 4:10 p.m. Monday reported that a GMC Terrain had been stolen from the 1000 block of North King Charles Road.

A police sergeant saw the SUV traveling near Poole Road, Deck-Brown said in the report. Vucich arrived as backup as the sergeant “activated his blue lights and got out of the vehicle” to approach the stopped SUV, Deck-Brown wrote.

“As Officer Vucich was exiting his vehicle to assist Sgt. Brown, Mr. Hyman turned his wheels to the left and accelerated rapidly, directly toward Officer Vucich,” she wrote. “Officer Vucich, believing that Mr. Hyman was attempting to strike him with the vehicle, quickly backed away from the rapidly advancing vehicle, drew his weapon and fired two shots at the vehicle.”

Vucich “had a close and unobstructed view of the vehicle when he discharged his weapon,” Deck-Brown continued.

A roughly 12-minute police chase ensued, ending on Western Boulevard near the campus of N.C. State University.

Hyman has been charged with vehicle theft, felony fleeing to elude police, failing to stop after a property-damage accident and reckless driving.

Witnesses and community advocates have questioned the officer’s decision to fire his weapon. The intersection is surrounded by businesses and the Daniel Center for Math and Science, a nonprofit that serves at-risk children.

Diana Powell, a Southeast Raleigh activist and founder of the nonprofit Justice Served NC, said she is organizing a demonstration in response to the shooting. It is expected to take place before a city council meeting next month.

This story was originally published August 17, 2018 at 4:49 PM.