Surveillance footage contradicted the official police account of the 2022 shooting of Jason Kloepfer in Murphy, North Carolina, prompting public scrutiny of law enforcement conduct.
Key Facts
- Date of shooting
- December 13, 2022
- Age of victim
- 41 years old
- Time before shot fired after arms raised
- approximately 4 seconds
- Initial charges filed
- Communicating threats; resist, obstruct and delay
- Charges dropped
- By March 2023
- Criminal charges against officers
- Declined by special prosecutor, December 2023
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Police SWAT Team responded to a situation at Jason Harley Kloepfer's home in Murphy, North Carolina. Officers deployed a camera-equipped robot into the home before instructing Kloepfer to exit. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office later claimed that Kloepfer had verbally confronted officers and engaged in an altercation prior to the shooting.
On December 13, 2022, Kloepfer exited his home with his arms raised as instructed, holding a cigarette and the robot that police had thrown inside. Surveillance footage Kloepfer released in January 2023 showed he was shot approximately four seconds after emerging, while his arms remained raised, directly contradicting the official account that he had confronted officers.
Charges filed against Kloepfer within hours of the shooting were dropped by March 2023. Special prosecutor Lance Sigmon declined to file criminal charges against the officers in December 2023, without publicizing specific reasons. Kloepfer subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against officers from both police departments involved in the incident.