MORGANTON, N.C. – A North Carolina officer and his K9 partner shot and killed in the line of duty were honored Friday morning in Morganton.

WSOC-TV reported that U.S. Forest Service Officer Jason Crisp was ambushed five months ago during a manhunt for a double murder suspect.

In front of the courthouse is a memorial to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in Burke County. On Friday, Officer Crisp and his K9 partner Maros were added to the memorial.

Much of Crisp’s family was in attendance as the memorial was unveiled Friday morning, including his widow and 7-year-old son.

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WENTWORTH – Inmates are about to clean up Rockingham County.

On Monday, Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law House Bill 1133, which allows the use of landfill funds to pay for a prisoner work program to clean up litter.

Craig Travis, the vice chairman of the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners, said for two years he wanted this program but the county couldn’t find funding.

“It just so happened one night I was laying there and I was thinking if they are picking up litter and litter is concerning trash then why can’t we use the landfill fund for it?” Travis said.

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RAEFORD, N.C. (WTVD) —  The Hoke County Sheriff’s department is equipping deputies, including school resource officers, with body cameras.

“We’re not hiding behind anything,” said Sheriff Hubert Peterkin during a Wednesday press conference. “This shows that we’re not hiding. This shows that we’re willing to go up front and do what we need to do.”

The $200,000 investment is funded through county drug busts, and includes 30 new car cameras. Fifteen body cams will be rotated between SROs at the middle schools and Hoke High School, as well as special operations teams and deputies who serve warrants.

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HICKORY, N.C. – Since protests began after an 18-year-old in Ferguson, Mo., was shot and killed by a police officer Aug. 9, videos and photographs circulating make the city of about 21,000 in St. Louis County look like a war zone.

Armored vehicles roam the streets, tear gas is being used on protesters and SWAT officers are walking around the streets carrying M4 assault rifles.

Scenes of military-type weaponry being paraded around are rare in the United States, but local law enforcement agencies possessing high-powered firearms isn’t.

In addition to purchasing armored vehicles, assault rifles and other equipment used in combat, local law enforcement agencies have the option of applying for excess Department of Defense property through the Law Enforcement Support Office, through the 1033 program created in 1997, according to the Defense Logistics Agency’s Disposition Services website.

Three local police departments and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office talked to HDR about equipment in their possession that might resemble military-type gear. Equipment these Catawba County-based agencies possess isn’t abnormal for local police departments or sheriff’s offices.

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WENTWORTH, N.C. – Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page plans to skydive to raise money for the Special Olympics of North Carolina.

Several local businesses have agreed to make donations totaling $2,500 to the organization in order to sponsor Page’s jump, according to deputies.

Deputies said the Sheriff, in return, will display patches of the businesses corporate logos on the jumpsuit he will be wearing during his jump.
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On Sunday, local residents will have a chance to learn more about history of the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office and the men who have served the county over the years.

“This has been about three years in the making,” said Chief Deputy Craig Carico. He said Sunday’s event will begin at the Sheriff’s Office in Danbury, in the lower lobby of the courthouse, at 2 p.m. where a monument, flag pole and memorial wall will be dedicated in honor of all the county’s past sheriffs. “There has not been anything that we know of where previous sheriffs throughout the county’s history have been honored for their service to Stokes County.”

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The Moore County Sheriff’s Office is now participating in VINE Mobile, a free phone application that gives the public another way to access information from the Sheriff’s Office.

With the VINE Mobile app, one can see the inmates who are currently in the Detention Center.

Crime victims can sign up for alerts of any change in status of the offender convicted of those crimes.

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RALEIGH – Gov. Pat McCrory and North Carolina Transportation Secretary Tony Tata announced Thursday that 90.6 percent of drivers and passengers in North Carolina are wearing their seat belts. According to the annual seat belt survey completed in June, North Carolina has achieved the highest seat belt usage rate in state history.

As the first state to the launch the “Click It or Ticket” campaign in 1993, North Carolina has long been recognized as a national leader in highway safety,” McCrory said. “We re-emphasize that role today with the results of this survey, which show that a record number of North Carolina motorists now are making the smart decision to buckle up.”

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RALEIGH, North Carolina – Federal officials say a man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of a special deputy U.S. marshal.

The Department of Justice says 21-year-old Lamont Deshawn Byrd pleaded guilty in federal court in Raleigh on Monday in connection with the death of Warren Lewis III.

Lewis was an investigator with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office who was also a sworn special deputy U.S. marshal assigned to the Eastern North Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force.

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NEW BERN – Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck was sworn in Tuesday night as the new president of the N.C. Sheriff’s Association during the group’s conference at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center.

N.C. Gov. Pat McCroy was on hand during the ceremony. Sheriff Buck was elected to head the group Monday during the membership meeting.

The N.C. Sheriffs’ Association is the professional organization of the state’s 100 sheriffs. The association works to strengthen the law enforcement services to citizens of North Carolina as well as acting as voice of the sheriff’s with state government and to improve programs related to law enforcement.

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