Authorities in North Carolina are considering hate crime charges after a white man fatally shot a black man during a road rage encounter.
On Monday, Stephen Addison, a 32-year-old motorcyclist, was reportedly shot dead by truck driver Roger Dale Nobles, 51, in a Fayetteville confrontation, WRAL reported.
The tragic incident occurred after the suspect’s son, Roger Dale Nobles Jr, got out of his father’s vehicle to confront Addison at a stoplight. While the two were still arguing, Nobles Jr’s dad pulled a shotgun and fired it at the victim, footage of the incident obtained by the station shows.
Nobles Sr admitted to killing Addison, a father of three. He was charged with first-degree murder, according to the station. Following the fatal shooting, Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West said in a press conference that additional charges may come after he finishes reviewing the evidence. The additional charges may include possible hate crime counts in connection with the broad daylight ambush.
“If the evidence warrants that type of charge, it’s certainly something we would look at and pursue,” West reportedly said.
According to a neighbor of the suspect, Nobles had a history of aggressive behavior and had used racial slurs against her.
“He done drove in my yard and took pictures of me on my porch. He’s shot his gun in the air telling me to turn my music down. I done been through hell with this man,” Shahara Chance reportedly said.
There were no charges against Nobles Sr’s son. However, security experts told the station that he apparently anticipated the killing and played a role in it.
“Where he’s actually standing in reference to, what we call in the military, a fatal funnel,” Anthony Waddy, an analyst with SAV Consulting, told the station. “He’s clearly out of harm’s way.”
After his dad fired the fatal shot, Nobles Jr appeared unsurprised and didn’t flinch and didn’t try to help the victim, who was reportedly left to die in the street.
Nobles Jr faced no charges because there was not enough evidence to charge him with a crime unless it becomes quite apparent that he had agreed to help his father kill the victim, a defense attorney said.
“You don’t have an obligation to report a criminal activity, even if you know the person who committed it,” Daniel Meier told the station. “You can watch a crime occur right in front of you, and you don’t have to call the police.”
