WAKE COUNTY – A Johnston County state trooper and Johnston County deputy sheriff were justified in the use of deadly force against a murder suspect who fired at the officers at the conclusion of a two-county high speed chase.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman made the ruling Tuesday after a review of a NC State Bureau Investigation report involving the fatal shooting of 20 year-old Jaylen Routt of Fayetteville. Freeman said after a review of the evidence, “… the fatal use of force was justified and that no charges will be pursued against the officers.”
Trooper Harrison Nazal, a 10 year veteran of the State Highway Patrol, attempted to stop Jaylen Routt for speeding 101 miles per hour on Interstate 40 in Johnston County around 1:08am on September 21, 2023. Routt failed to pull over and Trooper Nazal called for assistance over the radio.
Deputy McCoy joined the chase. After traveling over 20 miles at high rates of speeds, Routt exited onto Hammond Road in Raleigh and then onto several streets east of downtown. The pursuit was captured on dashcam video which was collected as part of the NCSBI investigation.
Routt drove into a grassy vacant lot where his vehicle came to a stop as the officers involved in the chase arrived and exited their car and started giving commands to show them his hands and get out of the vehicle.
Routt attempted again to flee in his vehicle, backing up in the direction of the officers, but his vehicle became stuck. Trooper Nazal broke the glass out of the back driver’s side window of the vehicle using his flashlight. Routt continued to ignore commands to get out of the vehicle and to show his hands.
Officers attempted to deploy a taser through the broken window to bring Routt into compliance. According to law enforcement on scene, Routt, who had been moving around in the front seat of the car and not showing his hands, raised a firearm in the direction of Deputy McCoy and fired a shot.
Deputy McCoy fell to the ground yelling “gun” not knowing if he had been hit. Trooper Nazal opened fire emptying his magazine in continuous shots at the vehicle in an attempt to prevent Routt from continuing to shoot at the officers.
Deputy McCoy regained his position and fired multiple shots at Routt. When officers approached Routt, they located a Glock 40 caliber handgun in his possession.
Wake County Emergency Medical Services and Raleigh Fire Department responded to the scene to render aid.
Trooper Nazal and Deputy McCoy, as well as other responding law enforcement and emergency medical personnel were interviewed during the investigation. Additionally, civilian witnesses who lived in the neighborhood where Mr. Routt eventually came to a stop were interviewed and provided statements that corroborated those given by law enforcement on scene. One of these witnesses also had video she had taken with her cell phone on which the commands from law enforcement to Mr. Routt and the firing of weapons were clearly audible.
Another witness indicated that while he could not see inside the vehicle when Mr. Routt fired his weapon, he did hear a shot and observed law enforcement react as if they had been shot at before they opened fire on the vehicle.
Radio traffic and dashcam videos from the Highway Patrol were collected and reviewed. There were no bodycams worn by the officers involved.
The Wake County City County Bureau of Investigation processed the crime scene, including the vehicle, and documented it, including taking photos and video. A sample was collected using a gunshot residue kit from Mr. Routt’s hands after he was transported to WakeMed and analyzed showing a positive result. A shell casing found in Mr. Routt’s vehicle was analyzed and determined to match the weapon in his possession.
A preliminary autopsy indicated Jaylen Routt had a total of six gunshot wounds including wounds to the head and abdomen where major organs were struck. There was no indication that any of these were contact wounds. The final autopsy is pending.
The Wake County District Attorney stated the physical evidence and civilian statements support the officers’ statements that Jaylen Routt shot at them and that they returned fire in self-defense.
North Carolina law gives law enforcement authority to use deadly force in protecting themselves and others from a threat of being killed. The evidence supports a finding that officers on scene had a reasonable belief that they were in imminent danger of deadly harm.
District Attorney Freeman said a review of all the available evidence in this case leads to a conclusion that the use of force was lawful and that a prosecution is not sustainable.
At the time of the incident, Routt was wanted on multiple charges out of Cumberland County to include murder.
I am glad these LEOs were not charged for doing there job. I do not understand why it took so long to clear them. There was no question it was a totally a legal shoot.