HICKORY, NC — The District Attorney for the 25th District of NC says the sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a suspect on November 28, 2016 did so lawfully.
Irecas ‘Ray’ Valentine, 41, was shot and killed in Hickory during a drug investigation by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. According to reports, deputies came in contact with Valentine on 15th Street NE. When deputies approached him, Valentine attempted to flee in his Porsche Cayenne. During this attempt, officials say Valentine hit one of the cruisers, causing heavy damage, while an investigator was still in the car. Believing their lives may now be at risk, investigators say a deputy fatally fired on Valentine.
Valentine was taken to Fry Regional Medical Center where he later died from his injuries.
According to the DA, investigators were not sure who was in the vehicle when they approached, but had been warned that it could be Valentine and to proceed with extreme caution. Valentine had been previously been involved in an officer-involved shooting three years earlier after trying to escape law enforcement, and then charging at Hickory officers. He was shot multiple times, but survived the incident.
After carefully reviewing evidence, interviews, witness statements, and available photos and video provided by the SBI, the DA concluded that the CCSO deputy acted lawfully in the fatal shooting of Valentine.
You can read the District Attorney’s full statement here.
