Holly MatkinWashington, NC – The mother of an armed suspect with a stolen gun who was fatally shot by police during a justified shooting in 2018 will receive a $185,000 settlement from the City of Washington.
Teresa Pritchard, the mother of 27-year-old Cedric Pritchard, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and Washington Police Department (WPD) Senior Patrol Officer Aaron Mobley in April of 2020, alleging Officer Mobley “committed civil battery” and “used excessive force,” during the 2018 encounter with her son, the Washington Daily News reported.
Although Officer Mobley was cleared of wrongdoing back in 2019, the city recently agreed to settle the wrongful death lawsuit for $185,000.
In doing so, the city will receive a full release of any and all claims, the Washington Daily News reported.
The city noted that the settlement does not represent an admission of liability, according to WNCT.
The funds will be paid through the city’s insurance coverage, Washington City Manager Jonathan Russell told WITN.
According to court documents, the WPD officer was out on patrol at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2018, when he spotted a blue Pontiac Aztec driving along 15th Street near Washington Street, WNCT reported.
The officer was familiar with the vehicle due to various past encounters and had made two felony arrests out of the same car just one night prior.
He was also familiar with Cedric Pritchard, who happened to be a suspect in two different felony assault cases that occurred over the course of the previous two days, WNCT reported.
Cedric Prichard did not have a valid driver’s license, so the officer pulled him over in the 1100-block of Washington Street.
The officer was approaching the Aztec when he noticed the suspect looking at him in the side rearview mirror, according to court documents.
A moment later, Cedric Prichard threw his driver’s door open in an aggressive manner and jumped out of the vehicle, police said.
The officer noticed that the suspect, who was facing him, was holding a gun in his right hand, WNCT reported.
The officer aimed his duty pistol at Cedric Prichard, who abruptly turned to run away from the scene with the gun still in his hand, police said.
The officer fired his weapon two times, striking the suspect in his back.
Investigators found a loaded .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver next to Cedric Prichard’s body in the wake of the fatal officer-involved shooting, WNCT reported.
The weapon had previously been reported as stolen out of Wake County, police said.
The North Carolina Bureau of Investigation handlined the investigation into the shooting and turned the case over to Beaufort County District Attorney Seth Edwards for review.
Edwards determined the officer was justified in using deadly force against the suspect and declined to file criminal charges against him, WNCT reported.
