By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
An airman from North Carolina’s Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was arraigned on Wednesday following a shooting incident the previous Friday. The victim in that case, an unidentified Carter County man, was reportedly in stable condition following surgery after suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach.
Dametric McGrue, 27, was booked into the Carter County Detention Center in the early morning hours of Saturday, August 12, on a charge of first degree assault after calling 911 to report his involvement in the shooting incident. Though McGrue’s arrest report shows his address as LaGrange, South Carolina, his social media profile indicates he lives in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where Seymour Johnson AFB is located, and works with the base’s 4th Civil Engineer Squadron.
According to testimony from the arresting officer McGrue was open and cooperative, and claimed self-defense in the incident before reserving his right to remain silent.
What all witnesses agreed upon was that at some point on Friday evening the victim of the shooting knocked on the door and then engaged in an altercation with McGrue, and that McGrue shot him in the stomach. What was not clear, however, was whether that shooting occurred during the initial altercation, or after McGrue went to his vehicle and retrieved the firearm.
After hearing conflicting testimony relating to that second point, district court judge Rupert Wilhoit found sufficient doubt in McGrue’s claim of self-defense to bind the case over to the grand jury. This means that the Air Force will now take over the case for McGrue against the Commonwealth Attorney’s office, county Attorney Brian Bayes explained following Wednesday’s hearing.
“Probable cause was found to bind over to the grand jury,” Bayes said. “At this point (the case) will be between the Commonwealth Attorney’s office and the Air Force.”
Though McGrue’s attorney, Sen. Robin Webb, argued for bond for the airman, the judge denied that request.
McGrue remains housed in the Carter County Detention Center pending his next hearing.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
