Family, friends demand answers after Fayetteville police officer shoots, kills man during Thanksgiving traffic stop
About 30 people gathered Friday evening to remember the life of a man killed during a traffic stop and altercation with a Fayetteville police officer on Thanksgiving Day.
WRAL News spoke with family members and friends of Demarcus Brodie, who died at the age of 49.
“Right now, I just want answers,” Brodie’s father, Steve Brodie, said. “Simple answers, not big answers, but simple answers.”
The officer involved, Dillion Hoke, conducted a traffic stop on Nov. 23, 2023, in the 2000 block of Murchison Road. During the stop, police said an altercation occurred between the driver and officers. The altercation resulted in Hoke discharging his weapon, police said. Authorities pronounced Demarcus Brodie dead at the scene.
“What happened?” Steve Brodie said. “Where’s the video? If something went wrong, let us see what went wrong.
“If you’re not hiding anything, why not release the video?”
Officers said Demarcus Brodie resisted after they tried to detain him. They said he also assaulted officers. It prompted to the deadly shooting.
“There’s too many conflicting stories about what took place,” said Pastor Robert McQueen, who is the uncle of Demarcus Brodie.
Authorities have not filed charges against Hoke. Fayetteville police have not confirmed if Hoke was reinstated to the force after he was put on administrative leave.
McQueen said he’s not buying the narrative from investigators.
“This is not going away the way they think it is,” McQueen said. “We want answers, and we’ll go to any extent [to] get the answers we’re seeking.”
