GASTONIA, N.C. – A Gastonia Police officer was involved in a shooting after responding to a domestic/civil disturbance call at 11:45 a.m. today on Union Road in Gastonia. Betty Diane Sexton, 43, of 2325 Union Road, was fatally shot in the chest during the incident.
Gastonia Police Chief Robert Helton has requested that the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation conduct an independent investigation into the officer involved shooting. The SBI’s findings will be presented to the Gaston County District Attorney’s Office.
The Gastonia Police Department is also conducting an administrative investigation, and Officer LaDonique Neely has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in officer involved shootings. Officer Neely was hired by the GPD in January 2012.
“The investigation is in very early stages, and at this point this is all the information we have,” Chief Helton said.
