A pair of unrelated officer-involved shootings in October is one of Beaufort County’s Top 10 stories of the year. Both remain under investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation heading into 2019. The first shooting, involving a Washington Police Department officer, left one local man dead. The second, involving a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy, left another man wounded.

WASHINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

What began as a routine traffic stop ended with a fatality on Oct. 21, when a WPD officer shot and killed Washington resident Cedric Pritchard, 27, after he allegedly exited his vehicle with a firearm in hand. The incident took place near the corner of West 11^th and Washington streets at 3:48 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon.

Going into the new year, many details of the shooting remain unclear, including why Pritchard was pulled over, what type of firearm he may have been wielding and the exact timeline of events surrounding the shooting. Washington Police and Fire Services Director Stacy Drakeford said video footage from the police cruiser’s dash cam has been turned over to the SBI as part of the investigation.

According to New Birth Christian Center Pastor Marcus Miller, who has been speaking publicly on behalf of the Pritchard family, the family is still waiting on the results of the SBI investigation into the shooting before deciding whether to pursue legal action.

Prichard had previously served four years and four months in prison for three counts of common law robbery, according to public records.

On Thursday, Drakeford confirmed that the WPD officer involved in the shooting is still on administrative leave, per department policy. The SBI investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

The second shooting, which occurred on Oct. 20, took place during the apprehension of two suspects wanted in connection with a murder in Greenville.

Deputies took Billy Earl Grizzard III, 30, into custody near Chocowinity, along with his girlfriend, Kellie Anne Moseley, 30, after the pair led deputies on a chase from the Blounts Creek area.

Grizzard was wanted by the Greenville Police Department in relation to the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Seth Nicholas Street in the parking lot of a Harris Teeter on Fire Tower Road in Greenville. Street died from his injuries later that evening.

BCSO deputies caught up to Grizzard and Moseley that same evening in the Blounts Creek area. According to a BCSO release, the two were leaving a house they had burglarized and while deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, they fled toward Chocowinity. Grizzard was shot in the arm during the ensuing arrest.

Including the murder, Grizzard faces a total of seven felonies and five misdemeanors, including possession of a firearm by a felon, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, burglary/larceny charges and traffic violations. His bond is set at $2.15 million. Moseley was charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

Grizzard’s next scheduled court appearance is Jan. 23, in Pitt County District Court. Moseley is scheduled to appear in District Court on Feb. 6.

Per BCSO protocol, the deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave, pending the results of the SBI investigation, which is still ongoing.

LOOKING FOR RESOLUTION

Under North Carolina state law, the findings of SBI investigations are not public record. Once the investigations are complete, they will be turned over to District Attorney Seth Edwards, who will then determine whether charges are warranted in either shooting. According to representatives from the District Attorney’s office, Edwards has not yet received full reports on either shooting.