Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Willie Thomas Lovett
Age : 54
Gender : Male
Race : Black
Date : 07/28/2024
Location : Judge Hardy Street
City : Maury
County : Greene
State : North Carolina
Agency : Greene County Sheriff’s Office
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Cognitively impaired man killed by police after being confused and wandering into neighboring home
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 07/28/2024, Greene County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a reported breaking and entering at a residence on Judge Hardy Street in Maury. The homeowner had fled after finding 54-year-old Willie Thomas Lovett inside the residence.
According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies entered the home and attempted to contact Lovett. Deputies reported that a physical struggle occurred, during which a deputy shot Lovett. Deputies rendered medical aid until EMS arrived, but Lovett died at the scene.
Lovett's family said he suffered from dementia and had wandered away from his nearby home after becoming confused. His son stated that Lovett was gentle, nonviolent, and had mistakenly entered a neighboring house that closely resembled his own. Family members later shared photographs showing the striking similarity between the two homes and questioned whether deputies recognized that Lovett was experiencing a cognitive impairment rather than committing a burglary.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was requested to investigate the shooting. As of the latest publicly available information, the deputy has not been identified and no public findings have been released regarding the investigation.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://www.wcti12.com/news/local/son-in-disbelief-after-dad-shot-by-greene-county-deputy
https://www.witn.com/2024/07/29/family-man-killed-deputy-involved-shooting-maury-speaks-out/
Jakel Lovett FB page with more information:
https://www.facebook.com/jakel.lovett/
