by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project:
Cherokee County, NC — In December 2022, as TFTP reported, Jason Harley Kloepfer found himself at the center of a corrupt controversy after a police-involved shooting near Murphy left him with bullets in his body and facing criminal charges. Original headlines praised the police as heroes for their actions, but subsequent video evidence painted a very different picture. Kloepfer, who complied with officers’ orders and was unarmed with his hands up, was shot multiple times, sparking outrage over the unjustified use of force.
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Fast forward two months, and both misdemeanor charges against Kloepfer – communicating threats and resisting a public officer – have been dropped. District Attorney Ashley Welch exercised her discretion in dismissing the charges but declined to comment further on her decision. This development followed Kloepfer’s attorney, Zeyland McKinney, filing subpoenas on February 13, seeking various documents, communications, and videos related to the case.
According to Smoky Mountain News, McKinney issued subpoenas for Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) Chief Carla Neadeau, CIPD officers Christopher Harris, Nathan Messer, Neil Ferguson, Andrew Sampson, and Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith. Records sought included body cam and dash cam footage, as well as video from the robot that entered Kloepfer’s home. The subpoenas also requested documents related to the use of deadly force, use of body cams, psychological evaluations of CIPD officers, mission pre-plans, and after-reports related to the incident.
Additional information sought by Kloepfer’s attorney included text messages between Sheriff Smith and key members of the CIPD and Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, communications between Cherokee County deputies and the 911 caller, and any coordination regarding emergency medical services for Kloepfer following the shooting. The subpoenaed parties were given until March 9 to produce the material or appear in court. With the case now dismissed, the subpoenas will no longer be carried out.
As we reported at the time, the video footage contradicted the official police narrative that claimed Kloepfer “confronted” officers, forcing them to shoot. The footage revealed that Kloepfer and his wife exited their home with their hands up and unarmed when the officers opened fire. Despite being shot, Kloepfer was heard telling officers that he didn’t have a gun.
Police initially claimed that they were responding to reports of shots fired and accused Kloepfer of holding a hostage inside his home. They deployed a robot camera, which confirmed there was no hostage, and woke the sleeping couple. As Kloepfer and his wife walked out the front door, both unarmed, they put their hands in the air before officers opened fire. Kloepfer’s wife, in shock, yelled at the officers while attempting to help her injured husband.
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