Killing of Willie Belton Shuford in North Carolina in 1949

Incident

Case summary

Willie Belton Shuford, 40, a farmer, was killed in 1949 by police officer Paul Chaulk in Wake County, North Carolina. Chaulk and constable J.M. Merritt were answering a call by George Carlton, who had told police that Shuford had fired a gun at him. The officers found Shuford, who had one leg and walked with a crutch, along the side of the road, and said that Shuford was aiming a shotgun at them. They knocked him into a ditch with their car, and when they approached him on foot, they said he again aimed a gun at them. Chaulk then fatally shot him.

Victim(s):

Willie Belton Shuford


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

Paul Chaulk

J. M. Merritt

Perpetrator group type: police

Date of incident: 1949-10-18
Location: Rolesville, Wake County, North Carolina
Location type: public space - rural
Allegation against victim: aiming a shotgun at the police; firing a shotgun at another person earlier

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: [ ]
Finding of no legal responsibility: [ ]

Criminal process
Arrest: [ ]
Charge/indictment/information: [ ]
Grand jury: [ ]
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]


Document(s):
advocacy group resources
census records - closed
death certificates - closed
military documents - closed
news articles - closed
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